Broken Bonds: The Leaf and the Whirlpool
by FoxSpirit17
Summary: The ancient alliance between Konoha and Uzushio was shattered. Seven years later, the two Hidden Villages must stand united against mysterious organization known as 'Akatsuki'. However, the only one who can rekindle the old alliance is the boy Konoha betrayed not so long ago: Uzumaki Naruto. Semi-AU, NaruHina, SasuSaku.
1. Prologue: The Vessel of the Kyuubi

Hello and welcome to my first fic!

Inspired (sort of in reverse when it comes to Naruto's relationship with the Uzumaki) by Quill of Molliemon's 'Fox Moon' / 'Will of Foxfire' and given the final push to publication by Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara's 'Naruto: Heir of Whirlpool'.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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 **Prologue: The Vessel of the Kyuubi**

The four most powerful people in Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, were seated at the head of the long table dominating the Council Chamber, trying to decide the fate of the small bundle of blankets lying on the hard wooden surface in front of them.

The woman's voice broke the silence. "So, what are we going to do with him?"

They all turned their eyes towards the bundle or, rather, what was inside it: a small, fragile, utterly defenseless baby, born just a few hours ago. Despite all the terrible things that had happened in the first hours of its short life, it looked completely at peace as it slept, wrapped tightly inside a blue blanket.

The woman, Utatane Koharu, continued: "The Yondaime was a powerful man. His actions in the last War made Konoha's victory over the other Hidden Villages possible and earned him a multitude of enemies both outside and inside the Land of Fire. And while none of those enemies would dare to strike at the man directly, his son is another matter. Especially now that both the Yondaime and his wife are dead and there is no fear of retribution from them."

"Indeed," the bespectacled gray-haired man, Mitokado Homura, nodded in agreement. "Before the end of the year, shinobi from Iwa would be swarming Konoha's forests, looking for revenge against the 'Yellow Flash'."

"They wouldn't be the only ones," the dark-haired man said. Unlike the others, Shimura Danzou looked battle-worn: he had an x-shaped scar on his chin and his right eye was covered with bandages. A cane was resting against the left side of his chair. "Iwa, Kumo, Suna, even Kusa; they would all leap at the chance to get their hands on the son of the Fourth Hokage."

Silence fell for a few moments as they all pondered Danzou's words. The man was a war hawk who believed that other nations were always plotting against Konoha and preferred to deal with those threats, both real and exaggerated, by eliminating them as soon as possible using any means necessary. But, despite his skewed moral compass -if he even had one- and his borderline paranoia, his assessment of a situation was not wrong. At least, most of the time it wasn't.

And in this situation, caution was better than blind faith in the inherent goodness -supposedly- possessed by every human being. Plenty of wars had shown the four veterans just how highly most people valued the life of another. Needless to say, none of them believed even for a second that the Yondaime's enemies would hesitate to harm an infant in order to get some kind of revenge against a man who was well out of their grasp now.

The truth was that even if the Fourth was still alive, nothing would change. The assassins' job would just be a lot harder.

"Can we protect the boy?" Koharu finally asked the question on everyone's mind.

"No, we cannot." The third man spoke firmly, but his voice was quiet and held an undertone of defeat. He was wearing an old fashioned black armor, looking every bit like the veteran of two great wars and countless small skirmishes that he was, an unsettling image that belied his kind, grandfatherly personality. His eyes were dull and focused intently on the peacefully sleeping baby.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked exhausted, which was to be expected. He had gone toe-to-toe with the most powerful of the nine Bijuu, the Kyuubi. He had fought it with everything he had while trying to ignore the screams of the people dying around him, the questions he had about its escape from Kushina's seal, the fear that gnawed on his belly as all his efforts served only to slow the Demon Fox down and buy time until the Yondaime joined the battle, his worry about the fate of his beloved Biwako...

The Fourth had arrived just as the Kyuubi was charging another Bijuudama, a devastating sphere of concentrated chakra, and teleported it far away, saving the village and the shinobi still fighting. He managed to defeat the Fox by sealing it inside a newborn baby, his own son.

The baby currently sleeping on the Council Chamber table, tightly wrapped in the blue blankets.

Hours after the sealing, they were still counting the dead and wounded; the number was staggering. Among the dead were the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and his wife, Uzumaki Kushina. And Sarutobi Biwako...

Hiruzen pushed the thought back. There would be time to grieve for the dead later. First, they had to tend to the living.

He looked around the table at the faces of his old comrades and trusted councilors during his tenure as the Sandaime Hokage.

"The Hidden Leaf has suffered heavy losses tonight. A large part of the village has been destroyed, the Hokage and hundreds of others were killed during the Kyuubi's rampage and at least twice as many were wounded. Moreover, we have no inkling as to how such a thing came to pass, since everyone present during Kushina's labor is now dead. Well, everyone but one, but he's not able to speak yet.

"In short, the Hidden Leaf is weaker than it has ever been."

Silence fell once again around the table, as none of the former Hokage's councilors could think of a way to dispute his grim assessment of the situation. As much as they, especially Danzou, hated to admit it, Konohagakure had never been this vulnerable before. The possibilities of what their enemies and even their 'allies' would do if they found out the extent of their powerlessness made them shiver in fear.

The small bundle stirred slightly, drawing the four people out of their contemplations of the bleak future ahead. One of the baby's hands poked outside the blanket and grabbed its edge. Then, the boy opened his eyes and looked around blearily; his gaze soon cleared and focused on the four people around him, examining them closely. The four elders were looking just as intensely at the child, noticing in particular that his eyes were a beautiful sky-blue color and his hair was golden blond; both were the exact same shade as his father's.

"Damn," Homura's soft whisper was barely audible in the quiet room.

"He looks just like Minato, doesn't he?" Hiruzen's voice cracked a little as he looked fondly at the child.

"Yes, the resemblance is striking. However, under the circumstances, that's not such a good thing." Homura let out a heavy sigh and rubbed one of his temples. "Why couldn't you look like your mother instead?"

The newborn's eyes were drawn to the bespectacled man, answering the elder's question by making a sort of cooing sound. Then, he squirmed again and extended his hand, letting go of the blanket. He made that cooing sound once more, this time in a more demanding way.

The elders -save Danzou- chuckled at the baby's antics and Homura reached out to tuck the errant hand back inside the warmth of the blankets. Before he could secure it, however, the boy managed to grab hold of one of his fingers, cooing happily. The elder felt his lips draw in a smile and, on an impulse, he reached out with his free hand and poked the boy's nose lightly before tracing a finger over his chubby, whisker marked cheeks. The baby made a squealing sound that sounded a lot like laughter, showing how much he was enjoying the little game.

"He's such a cute little thing." Koharu's smile was small but very warm as she looked at the two of them. Anyone who knew the normally harsh and unforgiving woman would be surprised to see such a tender expression on her face.

"Yes, he is," Hiruzen said with a smile of his own. He found that the three odd but strangely cute whisker-like marks the baby had on each cheek made him look somewhat like a kitten. With his round face, blue eyes and blond hair, he was an adorable baby, the kind women went _'aww!_ ' over and begged to hold for a while. Just a normal baby, happy to have someone play with him, holding the greatest of the Tailed Beasts trapped inside his tiny little body.

' _In a few years, he'll have an army of fangirls chasing him, just like they chased his father._ ' Few knew that Konoha's Yellow Flash, the fastest shinobi in the world, had first seen the value of speed as he was running for his innocence, trying to escape a mob of rabid fangirls intent on stealing a kiss from him. Oh, how Hiruzen had longed to be at the teen's place...

"This is no time for levity," Danzou said, well aware that his usual crisp tone could instantly extinguish any sign of mirth in his immediate area. "We're here to discuss the future of Konoha and how the survival of the village is directly tied to this child."

Homura raised an eyebrow at that. "'Survival'? Aren't you over-dramatizing the situation, Danzou?"

"Hardly," the one-eyed man said tersely. "If anything, I'm understating the danger." Seeing his fellow councilors giving him their undivided attention, he continued. "To put it bluntly: Uzumaki Kushina, the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, is dead and the Nine-Tailed Fox is now imprisoned inside a baby."

Said baby was staring at Danzou with interest, cooing softly. Evidently, he found the scarred and bandaged man amusing.

"Iwa has two fully trained jinchuuriki: Roshi of the Lava Release is the vessel of the Yonbi and Han of the Steam is the vessel of the Gobi. Both of them are experienced warriors and very loyal to the Tsuchikage. Kumo also has two jinchuuriki: Killer Bee, widely known as the 'perfect jinchuuriki', is the vessel of the Hachibi and a young girl named Nii Yugito, is the vessel of the Nibi.

"Kushina's presence and the threat of the Kyuubi was the only thing that prevented Iwa and Kumo from attacking Konoha directly. As of a few hours ago, this deterrent no longer applies. If Konoha is to survive, Namikaze's child _must_ be kept in the village in order to preserve the balance of power. Currently, he is our greatest asset."

Hiruzen gave the old war hawk a warning glare. "He's a _child_ , not an _asset_. And you can't just keep him locked up in the Leaf; Uzumaki Kenjiro will demand that custody of his grandson be given to him."

Danzou returned his lifelong rival's glare with an even stare. "He's not a normal child; he's a jinchuuriki. He exists to protect this village. You'd be wise to remember this, Hiruzen."

"You are going too far, Danzou. What _you_ need to remember is that-"

"Enough!" Koharu intervened before their argument could get out of hand. "This bickering gets us nowhere. The fact is that both of you are right. The boy, or rather the demon sealed inside him, is the only thing that will stop the other nations from taking advantage of our current weakness. However, as soon as news of tonight's events reach Uzushio, Kushina's family will lay claim on her son. Considering that the Whirlpool is the Leaf's oldest and most steadfast ally, this is not a request we can turn down."

"We won't have to deny their request because it is never going to be made," Danzou said cryptically, leaving the others dumbfounded.

Koharu narrowed her eyes at him. "Explain."

"We will start by telling everyone the truth. The Kyuubi's rampage claimed many lives. Among the dead were the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, his wife, Uzumaki Kushina, and their newborn son."

Hiruzen didn't need to hear any more; he knew exactly what Danzou, the man known as 'the Darkness of the Shinobi', was going to say next and he could not - _would not!_ \- allow such a thing to happen. "So, _this_ is your solution? Have you lost your mind?"

"Hardly. You may not like it, but even someone as soft as you, Hiruzen, can see that this is the best possible option for Konoha."

"I wouldn't be so confident about the success of this plan of yours, Danzou," Homura said before the retired Hokage had a chance to respond and escalate things. "The boy's parentage cannot be kept secret for long. Anyone who has seen the Yondaime even in passing will realize that this boy is his son. We _may_ be able to keep him hidden for now, but I suspect that the resemblance to his father will only become stronger as he grows older."

"You are right. The resemblance between father and son will be impossible to ignore. However," one corner of Danzou's mouth turned upwards in a faint smirk, "this will not be a problem. Most of the time, if not always, people believe what they _want_ to believe. They accept what they perceive as the truth and deny everything they think is a lie. In the end, 'reality' is just a collection of facts, preconceived notions and misconceptions.

"For instance: the Fourth Hokage was one of the greatest heroes of Konoha, so any child of his would be treated like nobility. Therefore, an orphan boy with no clan name could never be related to the Fourth, even if he looks like a younger copy of the man. In their eyes, he will not be the son of the Yondaime; he will simply be a boy with blond hair, blue eyes and whisker-marked cheeks.

"And as long as those associated with the Yondaime and his wife stay away from the child, that's all he will ever be: a nameless orphan."

Despite Danzou's cynical view of people, none of the others could find any fault with his argument. It was a cruel plan, condemning the child to a life away from his family and those who would view him like family. And at the same time it was _perfect_ , ensuring that the vessel of the Nine-Tailed Fox would never leave Konohagakure, guaranteeing the safety of the village.

Hiruzen could not allow it.

"Kakashi will recognize him the moment he lays eyes on him; so will Jiraiya." He paused and shot his coldest glare at the man who was once his best friend. "And once they learn that the Kyuubi has been sealed inside a new container, the seal masters of the Uzumaki clan will ask to examine the seal themselves; assuming, of course, that Kenjiro-dono will not want to oversee this personally. How do you propose we deal with _that_?"

But Danzou seemed to have been expecting these questions. "Hatake Kakashi is an ANBU directly under the Hokage's command, so I am confident he will obey orders. And Jiraiya can be convinced to see that this is for the good of the child as well as the village." He ignored the former Hokage's dubious stare and pressed on, knowing his victory was near. "Jiraiya has made it no secret that he thought of the Yondaime as a son, so he would respect his 'son's' dying wish that the child be raised in Konoha."

"More lies," Hiruzen almost spat the words in disgust.

"Think of them as a few additions to the truth, if that makes you more comfortable.

"As for the Uzumaki, there is no need for them to examine the seal. Jiraiya is more that qualified to verify the seal's integrity, being one of the few outside their clan whose knowledge rivals that of their greatest seal masters. Kenjiro-sama will accept his conclusions and all he will know is that the Kyuubi was sealed inside an orphan boy born at the same day as his deceased grandson."

"A well-thought plan," Koharu admitted reluctantly. "However, every plan can be unraveled by unforeseen events. Should this happen, our alliance with Uzushiogakure, which goes back to the founding of both villages, will crumble. Are you really willing to take such a risk?"

"It is necessary. Uzushio is still recovering from the losses they sustained during Iwa's invasion fifteen years ago. They don't have the manpower to aid us if even _one_ of our enemies attack us. And make no mistake, if we lose the Kyuubi as well as the Hokage, they _will_ attack. We need to maintain the status quo at any cost."

The oppressive silence fell around the table once again; even the baby was observing everything quietly, seemingly understanding the gravity of the conversation that would determine his future.

' _Damn the status quo,_ ' Hiruzen thought bitterly as he frantically tried to find a way to dispute Danzou's words. But it was futile, and he knew it very well. There was no other way.

The balance of power between the Five Great Nations was maintained by the Tailed Beasts each nation controlled and the jinchuuriki that wielded their power. Taki, even though it was a minor village, had possession of the Nanabi, Suna had the Ichibi, Kiri had the Sanbi and the Rokubi; all of them without a human vessel. In fact, the Sanbi had been killed a few years ago and had not yet reformed, so Kiri's position was even worse. Kumo had the Nibi and the Hachibi. Iwa had the Yonbi and the Gobi. And Konoha had the Kyuubi, the most powerful of all the Tailed Beasts.

And even though the Kyuubi's current jinchuuriki couldn't use the power of his Bijuu at all, his very presence in Konoha would preserve the balance of power and the fragile peace that had followed the Third Shinobi World War.

However, if the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi was claimed by Uzushio, then the delicate balance would shift and the Konoha would be at an incredibly disadvantageous position. Combined with the heavy losses they had suffered just a few hours ago...

' _Minato knew this. That's why he chose to seal the Fox instead of killing it._ ' But, no matter how Hiruzen looked at it, Namikaze Minato was not the kind of person who would treat _anyone_ , even a jinchuuriki, as a tool, an _asset_ to be used by the village.

' _So, what kind of person am I?_ ' Hiruzen sighed and put his hands over his face for a moment, as if to block out a world in which the best way to protect his home and the people living in it was to sacrifice an innocent child. Or maybe it was so he wouldn't have to look in the guileless eyes of the baby he was going to turn into a bargaining chip in the power struggle between nations.

"Very well," he said after a while, letting his hands fall on the table; he would deal with the consequences of his actions and not hide behind excuses. "The Council will be informed that the Fourth Hokage was killed during the Kyuubi's attack, along with his wife and their child. A letter will be sent to the Uzumaki, informing them of the tragedy that befell their family." His voice was dull, lifeless as he passed the boy's sentence.

"Before the Yondaime died, he sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox inside a newborn baby, whose parents were killed by the Demon. The boy, Naruto, clan name unknown, will be given to the orphanage. No-one outside the Council will be made aware of his burden. Not even Naruto will be told the truth about the Kyuubi until he is old and mature enough to control its power."

Danzou bowed his head, acknowledging both Hiruzen's words and the effort it took for the kind-hearted man to say them. Despite all their disagreements, he deeply respected his rival. "Why name him 'Naruto'?"

"It's the name his parents had chosen for him. I have just taken everything from him. I would like to at least let him keep his name."

Danzou thought this was nothing more than foolish sentimentality; the boy's name shouldn't matter. But even _he_ couldn't bring himself to argue against this. Because deep down, he knew that the name _did_ matter. Deep beneath the emotional control he valued so much and all the layers of indifference he had cultivated over the years, he knew that he - _they_ \- had just done a terrible thing. But no price was too high when it came to the safety of the Hidden Leaf. He had decided that decades ago and now, when Konoha was most vulnerable, was not the time to grow a conscience.

So, Danzou nodded imperceptibly, deciding to allow little Naruto to keep his name. "Will you take back the position of Hokage?"

Hiruzen gave a mirthless laugh at this. "I have to admit, I never thought I'd hear you say such a thing, Danzou."

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't; I would vehemently object your re-appointment. But we have already established that these are not normal circumstances. Right now, we need someone to immediately take charge of the situation. We cannot afford division and infighting."

"If that is what you all want, then I accept." At least, as Hokage, he would be able to watch over the boy, find some way to give him a normal life. He hoped he could.

Koharu looked at Homura, who nodded. "Then it is decided. Now, we have to wait for the Council meeting to start in order to make everything official."

Hiruzen said nothing and simply sunk in his chair, turning his attention to baby Naruto instead. He felt like he had just committed the greatest crime of his life.

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 **Author's Notes:**

1\. I detest flat, black-and-white characters. There's no such thing as 'pure good' and 'pure evil', not in the 'Numenorians, Rohirrim and Elves are good, Haradrim, Easterlings and Orcs are evil' Tolkien-esque sense. People are complex, something I will try my best to show in this work.

That's why Homura and Koharu are delighted to play with a baby, forgetting for a moment they're veteran shinobi and elders of a Hidden Village. That's why Danzou feels a shred of guilt for keeping a baby away from its family (although that will disappear as he sinks in darkness more and more). Finally, that's why Hiruzen, a military leader, puts the safety of the many above the well-being of one person.

2\. Blame G.R.R. Martin for what bits of cynicism I have.

3\. Don't worry, I won't kill off _every_ character. I'm an unrepentant optimist.

4\. Things that will **never** happen: harem, yuri, yaoi, lemons.

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Review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism helps, flaming does not.

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Edit: 06 January 2016 - Fixed the 'Acknowledgement' section.

Edit: 13 March 2016 - Fixed some spelling mistakes.


	2. Chapter One: An Unexpected Meeting

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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 **Chapter One: An Unexpected Meeting**

Uzumaki Kaji stalked down the main street of Konoha, looking thoroughly intimidating. He was dressed entirely in black: black pants, black sandals, a long-sleeved black shirt, black fingerless gloves and a long black coat bearing the red spiral of the Uzumaki clan between the shoulder blades. The coat's billowing was somewhat halted by the katana strapped to his back. The black cloth of his hitai-ate was mixing almost seamlessly with his straight black hair. Instead of a stylized leaf, the metal plate bore the spiral that was the crest of Uzushiogakure, the Village Hidden by the Whirling Tides. The menacing image was completed by the man's piercing purplish-blue eyes.

Those purplish eyes were currently glaring at anything they fell on: the buildings, the people hurrying to finish their shopping before the rain started, the black clouds hanging overhead... The man's foul mood was obvious and everyone was giving him a wide berth, hoping his gaze would not linger on them and deem them fitting objects to vent his anger. Nobody liked to be subjected to such fearsome glares, after all.

Kaji ignored the people cowering all around him, lost in his dark thoughts. He did not like being in Konoha. No, that was too mild; he _hated_ being in Konoha. He hated not seeing the vast blue of the ocean on the horizon. He hated the oppressive summer heat that made his clothes stick to his back.

He hated having to sit through endless Council meetings, listening to the self-important councilors going on and on _and on_ about _this_ and _that_ , presenting a calm facade to the world while in his head he created simple yet highly entertaining schemes. They mostly revolved around him using his katana -and maybe a few high-level _Suiton_ jutsu- to rid the Leaf of this blight called 'the Council'. There were days he was almost certain the Sandaime was contemplating the same thing, but with a blunt nyoi instead of a razor-sharp katana. ' _Feh. And some accuse the old man of being soft._ '

But most of all, he hated how all these high-and-mighty shinobi clan heads and civilians would belittle Uzushio and trample all over the much smaller village. Every proposal he brought in front of them would be taken apart, every insignificant little detail thoroughly scrutinized and, after they were satisfied there was no hidden meaning behind even the simplest requests, suggestions would be made. _Maybe we can alter this part_ here _and that part_ there _so that Konoha can better respond to Uzushio's needs?_

 _Need_. That was the key word. Uzushio was still too weak to stand on its own. They had wealth, but not manpower, not unless they hired mercenaries like they had when Iwa had attacked their small island nation. As much as their pride was stung by admitting it, they _needed_ Konoha.

And so, Kaji had to swallow his indignation and fury, and accept every single demeaning term. There was no other choice. Needless to say, all that left a bitter taste in his mouth. ' _If Minato were here..._ '

Kaji sighed. If he had to be completely honest with himself, it wasn't being in Konoha or even dealing with Konoha's Council that he hated so much. It was all the memories that this place brought back, along with the useless -and so _painful_ \- feeling of 'what could have been'.

Not that admitting this made his foul mood disappear.

He knew better than to dwell on things that could not be changed, he really did. But, sometimes, he couldn't help himself. His life had ended up so different from what they had imagined on that hot summer day years ago. Back then, the five of them were just kids dreaming of changing the world, firmly convinced that nothing could stop them.

His oldest brother, Kenshin, was going to succeed their father and become the head of the Uzumaki clan. He was serious and stubborn but also kind and loyal; he would make a perfect leader.

His older brother, Kaito, was going to become Kenshin's bodyguard and advisor when that day came. Despite his quick temper, he was brilliant, talented, and, most importantly, completely devoted to his family; Kenshin could ask for no finer right hand man.

His only sister, Kushina, had her own burden, being the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. She was a tomboy whose fiery temper could frighten everyone, even Kenshin, and had made it her goal to become the toughest, strongest kunoichi. Kaito used to tease her that the future wife of the future Hokage should be a little more delicate than that, earning himself a rough smack to the head in response every time.

Then, there was Namikaze Minato. Somehow, the even-tempered teen had managed to seamlessly fit right into their 'group' after he had saved Kushina from some kidnappers from Kumo. The moment he had introduced himself to the Uzumaki brothers, they had realized two things: first, that this boy was going to become Hokage one day very soon, and second, that he was head over heels for their sister.

And finally, there was Kaji himself. He wasn't even a ninja at the time, but he followed his siblings around begging them to train him so he could become as strong and cool as they were. Then, when he was strong enough, the five of them would end all wars so that people wouldn't have to live in fear anymore.

The war had ended _them_ first.

Kenshin and Kaito had been killed during the Third Shinobi World War, almost seven years ago.

Minato and Kushina had died during the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha more than four years ago. Their son, born that very day, had died with them.

That had been the final stroke for Kaji's father; he had been looking forward to meeting his grandchild. In their last letter, Minato and Kushina had informed Kenjiro and Kaji that they planned to name the boy 'Naruto'. _Maelstrom_ – a fitting name for an Uzumaki, Kenjiro had declared proudly. Kaji had wisely decided not to mention the name's connection to ramen, fearing his irascible sister would keep his nephew away from him.

Kaji sighed again. Reminiscing wouldn't change anything. He had a job to do in the Leaf and he couldn't afford to be distracted by the past. Besides, a ninja with his reputation couldn't walk around daydreaming. At best, he would embarrass himself. At worst... his father would be heartbroken once again.

Kaji kept walking down Konoha's main street as rain started to pour, lost in his more-broody-than-usual thoughts (' _Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me today?_ '), when he noticed something in one of the side streets. ' _Ramen_.' Hmm. Maybe a bowl -or two, or _three_ \- of his favorite food was just what he needed to chase this morbid mood away. One bowl of warm ramen would fill his stomach and, if it was _really_ good, warm his heart and make him forget all his troubles for a while.

Not that he expected anyone else to understand the amazing healing powers of ramen. Apparently, it was an Uzumaki thing; others treated ramen like any other food. Whenever Kaito and Kushina had heard such sacrilege, they had quickly educated the misguided person on his (or her) wrongdoings, earning themselves odd stares from bystanders. Kaji was more reserved: he just stared at people like they had said something incredibly stupid -which they had, of course.

Looking critically at the clean but small and not so fancy (' _poor might be a better word for it_ ') shop in front of him, he decided to give it a try. After all, nothing that smelled so divine could be _too_ bad. Pushing one of the flaps away, he sat on a stool in front of the empty counter.

"Hello and welcome to Ichiraku Ramen! My name is Ayame! May I take your order?" The girl who had greeted him looked about ten years old -a bit too young to work, but it _did_ seem like they were struggling to get by, he noticed now that he was inside.

Kaji ordered a large bowl of seafood ramen and a man wearing a long white apron -the girl's father and owner of the ramen stand, from what the young man gathered- started preparing the meal. A truly delicious scent tickled Kaji's nostrils as mr. Ichiraku mixed and boiled the ingredients for the broth.

' _Looks like this won't be so bad after all_ ,' Kaji thought as he waited for what promised to be a delicious meal.

 **-XOXO-**

Hatake Kakashi, codename "Dog", was running across the rooftops of Konoha. He was dressed in form-fitting armor and was wearing a mask shaped like a dog's snout; the mask did nothing to cover his long, gravity defying spiky silver hair.

He arrived at his destination with a few minutes to spare before the shift change, a rare thing for him. Kakashi was many things, but punctual was not one of them. Not anymore. This was the only mission he would never allow himself to be running late, however.

The young ANBU with the weasel mask didn't comment on Kakashi's lack of tardiness. Not that Kakashi expected him to. Uchiha Itachi, codename "Weasel", was brilliant, ridiculously talented, and aloof to the point many thought he was completely antisocial. Not the most charming combination, to be sure, but Kakashi didn't really have room to talk considering how unapproachable _he_ had been when he was eleven. He hoped that the boy would grow out of it, eventually.

"Anything to report?" Itachi was not the only one with antisocial tendencies.

"Nothing of import. The boy left his apartment early and spent the day outside, mostly in the park."

That did sound like a typical day for Naruto. Except for one thing: "No pranks?"

"No, senpai. He didn't come in contact with anyone today; in fact, he actually went out of his way to avoid some other kids when they came too close to his hiding spot." Itachi's even tone betrayed none of his emotions, but Kakashi would bet new _Icha Icha_ novel that the boy was disturbed. He could see it in the way Itachi held himself: a little too stiff, his hands trembling slightly as if he wanted to clench them into fists. ' _Or maybe he's trying to suppress the urge to throttle someone._ ' Kakashi knew that feeling very well.

Apparently, even the marble statue known as Uchiha Itachi had his breaking point. "Is it always like this?"

"Yes." Kakashi didn't need to ask what Itachi meant by that. The pre-teen's usually emotionless voice had taken an angry edge and Kakashi was certain Itachi was glaring at the villagers from under his mask. He himself did more than just glare as he looked at the good people of the Hidden Leaf directing all their hatred to a four-year-old boy. Part of him wanted to unleash _Raikiri_ on those fools, take Naruto, get him out of Konoha and damn all consequences. His hands actually twitched for a moment. He had to remind himself couldn't do that; he had sworn an oath to protect those people.

Not that this made the idea any less appealing to him. In fact, his loyalty was seriously tested every year on October 10th, when he had to make sure that his sensei's son wasn't killed on the day he was born by the people who claimed to honor the Fourth Hokage's memory.

' _Ignorant, bigoted assholes._ '

"You'll have to learn to separate those content with glaring and muttering threats under their breath from those willing to actually carry out those threats. And, most important of all, never let Naruto out of your sight." He turned to look at Itachi and waited until the boy looked back at him before continuing. "Your predecessor felt that _those people_ " he practically spat the words "had the right idea and attempted to join them. The man's comatose state wasn't deemed an important enough detail to delay Inoichi-san's not-so-gentle investigation and Ibiki is still waiting for him to recover in order to interrogate him properly."

Itachi didn't ask who had put the man in a coma. "You don't have to worry about me," he stated. "I will not allow anyone to harm a single hair on Naruto-kun's head. Those who try will pay the price of their folly." His icy tone left little room for doubt as to what he meant.

"I'm glad we understand each other. Now then, I'll take over here." Itachi nodded at that and vanished in a swirl of leaves. Kakashi headed to a rooftop on the other side of the street, moving a little ahead of the boy.

The busy street was rapidly emptying as people hurried to their homes to avoid the rain that had started pouring. Kakashi frowned as Naruto kept walking down the street, in the opposite direction of the dingy little apartment he lived in, rapidly getting soaked to the bone as the rain intensified. ' _What is he doing?_ '

The boy made his way to a ramen stand (' _Figures. He's Kushina-san's child, that's for sure._ '), but didn't enter. He just stood there, in the downpour, looking inside.

' _Why isn't he entering?_ '

Then, it hit Kakashi like a brick wall: because the boy was afraid. No shop owner in Konoha allowed Naruto entrance; in fact, many went as far as to chase the boy out of their stores, cursing the 'demon brat' for polluting the atmosphere just by being nearby.

Every time he saw a scene like that, Kakashi felt his blood boil and had to suppress the urge to form _Raikiri_ and teach the fools the error of their ways. His hands were already stained by the blood of his two most treasured friends, so the worthless blood of people petty enough to abuse a child for crimes he had never committed would actually be an improvement.

Sadly, the Hokage had forbidden him to kill someone unless they _directly_ assaulted the boy; dark looks and muttered threats didn't fall in that category. The old man had worded his orders very carefully, leaving Kakashi no loopholes to exploit.

A voice was heard from inside the ramen stand, calling the boy inside and Naruto jumped in fear, looking ready to bolt. However, after a few moments of hesitation, he squared his shoulders and walked in.

Kakashi smiled under his masks and found a somewhat comfortable seat.

 **-XOXO-**

Naruto stood outside the most wonderfully smelling ramen stand in Konoha and tried to gather his courage. Today was the day. Today he was going to walk inside and order a bowl of those deliciously smelling ramen. This was it. No chickening out again. Seventh time is the charm... or something like that. He wasn't certain. He'd heard an adult say something similar once and thought it sounded cool.

' _Right. Focus. Get in, sit down, order ramen, eat the ramen, pay, and leave before he realizes who I am. Easy._ '

Except that it wasn't easy -not at all. Everyone knew that the blond boy with the whisker marks on his cheeks was trouble. They would glare at him before telling him to get lost and go die somewhere to rid them of his presence. When they thought he couldn't hear them, they would whisper to each other, calling him the 'demon child' or 'monster' or 'nine-tails kid' or other mean things.

Naruto couldn't understand why they called him all those names. He had spent hours in front of a mirror, trying to see what made everyone hate him so much. But he didn't have nine tails; he didn't even have _one_ tail! And he wasn't a monster: he had two hands with five fingers, two feet with five toes, two ears, two eyes, a nose, a mouth, and hair like everyone else. How was he different from them? And he knew that demons were mean with fangs and claws and horns and scary eyes. But he didn't look like a demon. His teeth were normal (although his canines _were_ slightly longer than average), his eyes had pupils and not slits, his fingers had fingernails and not claws. And he _definitely_ didn't have horns.

The only things he had that others didn't were the whisker marks on his cheeks, three of them in each. But Hokage-jiji had said that he was born with them, so he couldn't see what was so bad about them.

So, if there was nothing wrong with him, as his jiji told him over and over, then why did everyone hate him so much?

Was it because he was born on the day the Kyuubi attacked Konoha? He knew it was a terrible thing and that many had died that day but he didn't have anything to do with that. How could he have been responsible for it? He was just a baby at the time! So why-

"Hey, boy! Do you want to come over and eat something?"

Naruto jumped as a grown-up's voice interrupted his thoughts, forcibly dragging him back to reality. Since he was shorter than the lower end of the flaps, he didn't need to push them back to look inside the store. There was old man Ichiraku and his daughter; no surprise there, he had seen them both before. He turned his eyes to the third person, a young man eating a bowl of ramen. A hitai-ate was tied around his forehead.

' _A shinobi! This is bad. What am I going to do?_ ' Shinobi were fast and didn't like him, mostly because they had to chase him after a prank, so the best thing he could do was leave and come back another day. Then again, he was cold, soaked, and hungry and the ramen smelled really good. He didn't want to leave without eating first.

He looked at the man with the black coat (' _So cool!_ ') once again, but he wasn't glaring at Naruto. He was looking... confused? Naruto noticed that his hitai-ate didn't have the leaf but a spiral. So, the man was probably a foreigner who didn't know about the 'demon child'.

Still, the intense way the man's purple eyes were boring into him made him nervous.

"Well, come inside! Don't stand in the rain!" Old man Ichiraku smiled and waved towards one of the seats. Naruto hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and walked inside. He could feel his mouth watering as the divine smell of ramen became stronger.

' _And I'm going to get a bowl of these. Perfect._ '

 **-XOXO-**

"Hey, boy! Do you want to come over and eat something?" Kaji was midway through his second bowl when the chef's voice interrupted his little 'healing session'. He turned on his stool and looked at the store's entrance.

He nearly fell off his seat by what -or, rather, _who_ \- he saw there.

A small boy, four maybe five years old, was standing in the rain, completely drenched. His clothes were sticking to his scrawny little body and his blond hair was plastered to his head, almost covering up his bright blue eyes. The whisker marks on his cheeks (' _So, this small child is the Kyuubi's vessel? Surprising._ ') made him look like a sodden kitten -or maybe fox kit was more accurate.

Under normal circumstances, such an image would have gotten a smirk out of him. But now, he found that he could barely breathe. This boy, fearful and ready to bolt if anyone made a wrong move, looked like a ghost straight out of the past.

"Well, come inside! Don't stand in the rain!" Ichiraku smiled and beckoned at the kid, inviting him inside. The child took a deep breath, apparently steeling himself, and hesitantly made his way towards the counter.

"You're completely soaked. That's not good. You'll catch a cold if you stay like that," Ichiraku said, shaking his head as he examined the boy. "Ayame, fetch a towel, would you?"

Little Ayame disappeared behind a door and came back a little later holding a small white towel. She handed it to her father who, in turn, passed it on to the blond-haired boy. "Here, dry yourself up a bit while I make you dinner, alright?"

The boy nodded, took the towel and did as the ramen chef suggested.

Kaji examined the boy closer, taking in every detail of his appearance. His blond hair was the color of dandelions and, once it was dried, formed spikes that stuck out in all directions. His skin was fair, but appeared tan compared to Kaji's even faired skin tone. His face was round and would be almost chubby if the boy had not been too thin for his age. And his eyes were sky blue and incredibly familiar.

Minato's eyes. ' _But the shape is different. They're wider and rounder. Like Kushina's._ '

Ichiraku placed a bowl of ramen -Kaji noticed absently that it was miso ramen- in front of the boy and the child started devouring his meal. There really was no other way to describe the merciless assault the bowl of ramen was undergoing.

Kaji realized he had been staring and turned back towards his ramen. But his appetite was gone now, replaced by a volatile mixture of emotions that made his stomach churn. He took a deep breath to calm himself and tried to sort out his feelings.

 _Confusion_. That was easily the dominant one.

' _Who is this boy? And why does he look like a miniature copy of Minato?_ '

His shabby clothes suggested that he was an orphan. The fact that he was alone and outdoors at this hour, in this rain, suggested that nobody cared about his whereabouts, something that angered Kaji. As to why he looked like Minato...

 _Hope_. Maybe...

' _No! Don't go there! They're dead, buried, gone. Don't…_ '

The boy soon emptied his bowl of ramen and broth. He gave a huge, bright grin at the chef and his happiness and utter joy was so contagious that Kaji felt the corners of his mouth lift in a small smile despite his inner turmoil.

"I'm glad you liked it," Ichiraku said with a grin of his own. "Alright, then. I've decided that your meal today will be the shop's treat."

"Really?" The boy's smile got even bigger, if such a thing was possible. "Thank you, dattebayo!"

' _WHAT?!_ ' Only a lifetime of shinobi training stopped Kaji from turning around and screaming the question at the child. Even so, his whole body tensed so badly, he broke the pair of chopsticks he was still holding.

"Don't mention it... uhm, you never told me your name."

"Naruto."

"Good to meet you, Naruto. My name is Teuchi and this" he pointed to the girl "is my daughter, Ayame"

"Good to meet you, too!"

Kaji barely paid attention to the conversation. _Naruto._ It couldn't be. Naruto, _their_ Naruto, was dead. He had been dead for almost five years now.

The Uzumaki had been told about the new vessel of the Kyuubi, of course. As the greatest fuuinjutsu expert alive and Kushina's father, Uzumaki Kenjiro had demanded to know every detail about the boy Minato had chosen to imprison the Fox. They hadn't been told much: the infant was named Naruto and bore six whisker marks on his cheeks. He was the child of an average chuunin and a civilian and had been orphaned during the Kyuubi's attack.

Kaji hadn't thought much about the boy's name back then. He knew that Minato and Kushina had picked their son's name out of Jiraiya's first book, ' _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_ '. The young man had read it after a little prodding from his best friend and found it amazing; the hero's determination and devotion to peace were awe-inspiring. Surely such a great book had many fans other than Minato and Nagato.

He also hadn't thought much about the Hokage's insistence that the Uzumaki didn't have to send someone to check the seal on the toddler. The old man had said that Jiraiya of the Sannin would look at it; that had been good enough for everyone, especially the grief-stricken Kenjiro. The Toad Sage was deeply respected in Uzushio for his fuuinjutsu mastery.

Now that he reflected on it a bit, he realized that nobody from Uzushio had ever seen the young jinchuuriki. Envoys came to Konoha every few months, but they were all kept away from the demon container. Kaji had assumed it was plain old paranoia. Now, however….

There had to be a perfectly good explanation why the barely _five_ –not six or seven but _five_ – year old vessel of the Kyuubi, whose name _happened_ to be 'Naruto', looked like a mini-Minato and had Kushina's bad verbal habit -and her love of ramen, now that he thought about it.

He ran it around his head over and over and over and the only answer that made sense was the worst possible one.

' _The Hokage lied to us._ ' His body tensed again, this time from the effort it took to suppress his anger.

"Thank you! Come again!" He turned around just in time to see Naruto waving goodbye at Ayame and Teuchi.

"Ichiraku-san, what do you know about this boy?" Teuchi looked surprised to be asked such a thing.

"Not much, other than his name," he answered reluctantly. "I've been seeing him around the shop for the past few days, looking but not entering. Figured he might prefer a quieter atmosphere, so I waited until closing time to invite him. I think he might be an orphan."

"Yes, I too believe he's an orphan." Kaji fished some ryou notes out of his pocket and left it on the counter, discreetly 'borrowing' the boy's used chopsticks and a paper towel in the process. Then, he stood up and straightened his coat, carefully putting the now wrapped chopsticks in his pocket.

"Hey, wait! These are way more than what your order is worth!" Teuchi was pointing at the money, which was more than twice the price of the ramen Kaji had ordered.

' _He's a good man. Few are kind enough to invite an orphan boy and offer him food. Even fewer would call back a customer to return him money, especially when it looks like they desperately need that money themselves._ '

"Keep it. If anything, these are not nearly enough to repay you for what you've given me today." He offered the chef and his daughter a brief but warm smile before going outside.

He smiled again as he followed the little boy with the spiky blond hair.

 **-XOXO-**

Kakashi nearly fell off the rooftop as he saw who had exited the small ramen stand shortly after Naruto.

' _Uzumaki Kaji? What the hell is_ he _doing here? And why is he following Naruto?_ '

The answer to the last one was obvious: because he saw Naruto. One would have to be both blind _and_ stupid to not notice the boy's striking resemblance to his father.

' _Heh. Guess that means that this village is made up of stupid people, blind to what's right in front of their eyes._ '

Kakashi knew he was in a lot of trouble. The Hokage's explicit, unambiguous, unarguable orders were that whenever an envoy from Uzushio visited, Naruto should be kept well out of his -or her- sight. And Kakashi had, albeit reluctantly, agreed to follow those orders.

Kakashi knew what was expected of him. He had been assigned to protect Naruto and eliminate any threats to him. But that was the real question, wasn't it? _Was_ Kaji a threat?

' _He's certainly going to_ be _a threat when he confirms beyond any doubt that this boy is his supposedly dead nephew. But right now..._ '

Right now, the foreign shinobi was just taking a leisurely stroll after eating dinner, his path matching that of Kakashi's charge by pure coincidence.

At least, that was how Kakashi chose to interpret the situation. He was fairly certain the Hokage would not see things his way.

The silver-haired ninja was in really deep shit.

' _Well, too late for regrets now. He's been seen, and by the worst man possible_.' Uzumaki Kaji would demand answers and wouldn't hesitate to barge into the Hokage's office and hold the Sandaime at swordpoint until the old man told him everything he wanted to know. And he would most definitely **_not_** take 'no' for an answer. The only way this situation could get worse was if Uzumaki Kenjiro suddenly appeared from around the corner.

' _But do I really regret it? Why is Kaji-san meeting Naruto such a bad thing?_ ' The treacherous thought made its way into his mind and refused to be driven out of there.

The man was the boy's uncle. He and his father should have been the ones to decide Naruto's future, not the Hokage. The boy should have been given to their care after his parents' had died _. 'He should have a proper home and a loving family, not be subjected to this every single day of his life._ ' He looked with disgust at the people who had surfaced again now that the rain had stopped and were wasting no time reminding Naruto just how unwelcome he was.

Kakashi saw Kaji's brows knit together in a fearsome scowl and his right hand twitching for a fraction of a second as if longing to grip his katana, but the older man quickly regained control of his emotions and hid his anger behind a blank mask. ' _Looks like he noticed the glares_ ,' he thought dryly.

It was hard not to notice the glares. Sometimes, he wondered how Naruto did it, how he hadn't snapped yet and unleashed the Kyuubi on the people that tormented him.

' _What do I do?_ ' Should he grab Naruto and get him out of Kaji's sight? Should he intercept Kaji and tell him that everything was just a figment of his imagination, that he was just seeing what he wanted to see? Should he summon the Sandaime here? Or should he just stay hidden and watch how things would unfold?

' _What_ should _I do?_ ' He should head down there, intercept Kaji, and tell him the truth, tell him everything the Sandaime and his council hid from him and Kenjiro. Then, he should grab Naruto and get him to Uzushio before anyone in Konoha thought about stopping them. He should tell Naruto everything he knew about Minato and Kushina. He should punch the Sandaime for ever forcing him to keep silent.

But he couldn't do any of that, not as long as he wore the Leaf on his hitai-ate. What he _could_ do was turn a blind eye and let Kaji talk to Naruto a bit. It was borderline treason, but he figured uncle and nephew were long overdue for an introduction.

' _Well, I can't guarantee that he's not going to kill anyone who does more than just glare at the kid._ ' Just like he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't join Kaji if he _did_ try to skewer somebody; the kami know those stupid assholes had brought such a fate on their heads a _long_ time ago. _'But I think it would be for the best if the two of them had a little talk._

' _Best for the two of them, anyway._ ' Kakashi was beyond caring about Konoha. _Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash_ ; Kakashi had taken Obito's words to heart. He had been barred from fulfilling his duty to his sensei once, shackled by his duty to Konoha. He would not be restrained again, not by a village unworthy of Namikaze Minato.

Kakashi hid deeper in the shadows and watched.

 **-XOXO-**

Naruto couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He was happy, happier than he ever remembered being. He had eaten a super-tasty dinner and now his belly was full and warm and sloshing a bit as he walked. That bowl had almost been too much for him. ' _Almost_ ,' he thought with a self-satisfied grin.

Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-nee-chan had smiled at him and said that he could come back for another bowl any time he wanted. Nobody had _ever_ said that to him before. It was... strange.

They had treated him like a person. And that... that made him feel warm all over.

He wondered if others felt that way all the time. They must be. They wouldn't be smiling if they weren't.

Naruto didn't smile often. He rarely had reason to do so. And besides, when the caretakers at the orphanage had seen him smiling, they had let the other kids be extra mean to him. He wasn't living there anymore, but he had learned his lesson.

He didn't cry either (at least, not in front of others), no matter what they did to him. If he cried, things just got worse. They thought was weak and tormented him even more.

He shook his head to get the bad thoughts out. He was happy. He wouldn't ruin it by remembering all that bad stuff.

He passed outside a playground. He wasn't surprised to see it empty; it was late, and the other kids' parents had probably picked them up and taken them home. Ignoring the familiar little stabbing feeling in his heart, he headed towards the swings.

An empty playground meant no mean looks and no-one to tell him to get lost. He wasn't about to let that go to waste, especially now that he was feeling so happy.

He sat on the nearest swing are started gently swaying in place, something that always calmed him and made him feel better. Closing his eyes, he pretended there was someone near him, his dad or maybe his mom, watching him and smiling as he played.

His mind must have been working overtime, because he actually _heard_ the rustling of cloth and the faint, almost imperceptible sound of footsteps.

He opened his eyes, not really expecting to see anyone there but unable to resist the temptation and the stupid, _stupid_ hope that maybe this time it wouldn't just be his imagination.

There _was_ a person there. There _really_ was a person there! He was wearing a long black coat and-

' _The man from Ichiraku! Did he follow me here? Why? What does he want?_ ' He felt panic well up inside him. Had he pranked the scary man sometime? Was he following him looking for revenge? He was about to run for it when the man pointed to the empty swing next to Naruto.

"Is this taken?"

 **-XOXO-**

Kaji's foul mood was back with a vengeance. Despite his best efforts to feign indifference, his face had twisted into a scowl and he found himself glaring at everyone around him once again.

If asked, Kaji would describe himself as a jaded man with a penchant for sarcasm and a healthy love for ramen. He had seen many things in his life, had taken part in many battles, had gone through many losses. He had survived because he had always managed to keep a cool head, even when he felt like he was being torn apart inside.

Nothing he had seen in his entire life had made him even half as angry as he was right now.

' _Why the hell are they all looking at him like that?_ '

It was impossible to miss the cold glares everyone was giving to the blond-haired boy. As far as he could tell, the boy wasn't doing anything besides walking down the street, seemingly oblivious to the world. Yet whenever someone caught sight of him, their smile would fade and be replaced by a look hard enough to shatter a granite wall.

Kaji had seen murderous rogue ninja receiving better treatment than this.

What puzzled him most was the _why_. Why was a toddler being treated worse than the lowest of scum? What could he possibly have done to earn this? And didn't these people realize what a terrible idea it was to mistreat someone with the power of a demon locked inside his body? Did they really think that when the boy grew older, he wouldn't remember those who had abused him and pay them back in kind? What were they trying to-

Then, it all clicked in place. _The Kyuubi_. They were unable to strike back at the monster that had attacked their home, so they had redirected all their anger, hatred and fear of the Fox towards the child holding it imprisoned. They probably didn't even think of the boy as human.

The thought disgusted him.

His scowl turned fierce and he had to forcibly restrain himself from grabbing hold of his katana and killing the next person who looked contemptuously at the child. Only the ANBU tailing the boy prevented him from doing something that would not befit his status as the official diplomatic envoy from Uzushiogakure.

' _Then again, it's just one man (or maybe woman?), so he (she?) won't be much of a problem if..._ ' He mentally shook himself and focused on finding another way to deal with this masked problem. Preferably one that didn't involve the use of a katana.

They had arrived at a playground. It was completely empty, which was to be expected given the late hour. He had the sneaking suspicion that the boy, Naruto, preferred it that way.

The boy headed towards a set of swings and climbed on one of them, his feet not touching the ground. He had closed his eyes and a small smile had crept on his face. Kaji was sorry he had to drag him out of his pleasant daydream, but _he_ _had_ _to know_. Before he could say anything, however, the boy's eyes were open and locked on him, wide and filled with fear.

' _I'm not_ that _scary, am I?_ '

First things first, though: he had to stop the boy from fleeing.

"Is this taken?"

The boy - _Naruto_ \- shook his head, looking wary as Kaji made his way to the empty swing and sat down. The black-clad man considered the best way to approach the enigma sitting next to him. He'd have to be careful and use every ounce of subtlety he had so that he wouldn't spook the boy.

"Don't you think it's a little late for a boy your age to be here all alone? Why aren't you home, kid?" Screw subtlety, he was never very good at it anyway.

"I don't wanna go home yet."

"You should; your parents must be worried about you." If not his parents, then a guardian; _someone_ had to be responsible for this child's well-being.

"I don't have parents, and nobody's worried about me." The last words were barely audible; Kaji suspected he wasn't meant to hear them.

There wasn't a smile on the boy's face anymore –it looked like there had never been one. His eyes had taken a pained, haunted look that made Kaji's heart clench. No child this young had any business looking so hurt and lost. It didn't matter who this boy's parents were anymore; he had to do _something_ to bring the smile back to that whiskered face.

Remembering the box of sweets one of his 'admirers' had given him earlier that day, he started going through his pockets. He hadn't had time to give it to anyone, so it must still be- ' _Got it!_ ' He carefully unwrapped and opened the box, aware of the boy's eyes tracing his every move.

Smiling faintly, he offered the box to the boy. "Want one?"

The boy was looking at him like he'd grown a second head. Smile now replaced by a frown, he decided to press the assault. "I haven't tried them yet, but I'm told they're really good."

To demonstrate his point, he took a piece of candy from the box and ate it. ' _Hmm, so it's fruit candy. Not bad._ ' He took a second one.

Reassured about the quality of the sweets, the boy reached out and took a piece of candy for himself.

Kaji reconsidered the wisdom of his idea for a moment; he had heard the term 'sugar rush' before and was fairly certain it was not a pleasant experience for the adult interacting with the hyped-up child. All his doubts vanished, however, when he saw the huge smile the boy was giving him.

He couldn't help it: he smiled back.

"What's your name, kid?" Might as well take it from the start, introduce themselves properly.

"Naruto. What's yours, occhan? Are you really a shinobi? What's that mark on your hita-te? Is that svord real? Can I hold it? Are you-"

"Whoa, hold on! One question at a time!" One measly piece of candy couldn't possibly be enough to give a child this much energy. ' _Guess he's naturally hyper. Brilliant._ '

"Sorry." Naruto gave him a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his head, a gesture that was achingly familiar to Kaji. He took a deep breath and tried to organize his chaotic thoughts.

"My name is Uzumaki Kaji. I'm a shinobi of Uzushiogakure. The crest on my _hitai-ate_ " he enunciated the word "is the spiral of the Hidden Whirlpool. The _sword_ is called a katana. It's very real and no, you can't hold it or any other weapon until you're much older."

Naruto pouted at that and looked ready to argue before his petulant expression morphed into one of confusion. "What's 'Usushio-ga-ku-re'?"

Kaji chuckled lightly at that. " _Uzushiogakure_ , the Village Hidden by the Whirling Tides _._ It's a Hidden Village a few days east of Konoha. It's small, but wealthy and powerful." ' _Though not as much as it used to be._ ' "Uzushio and Konoha have been allies since they were founded."

That seemed to confuse Naruto even more. "If you're a shinobi from U-zu-shio, why are you here, occhan?"

Being called 'uncle' so casually –and maybe a bit fondly?- made Kaji feel warm inside. It was strange, but not unpleasant. He found he quite liked it. ' _Kami, please, don't let me be wrong about this kid._ '

"I serve as the official diplomatic liaison between Konoha and Uzushio." Naruto's face scrunched up in deep thought as he tried to puzzle out Kaji's words. The young man took pity on him after a few moments. "Basically, it means I run errands for the Uzushio Council and bring letters from them to the Hokage."

"Cool!" Naruto was practically bouncing on the swing now. Kaji felt another surge of warmth –and a bit of pride- by the boy's honest, spontaneous compliment. "So you know the Hokage?"

"I'm acquainted with Sandaime-sama, although I can't say I know him very well." Time to start dropping a few hints. "But I was good friends with the Yondaime."

"REALLY?" Naruto's eyes had gotten as big as saucers. He also seemed to have a bit of a volume-control problem. ' _This boy may look like Minato, but he's_ definitely _channeling Kushina's spirit._ '

"Really. Namikaze Minato was my best friend, someone I looked up to. To tell you the truth, I always thought of him as my brother; well, another brother, bringing the total up to three. Years later, he officially became a part of our family when he married my sister, Kushina."

"Wow!" Kaji didn't think it was possible for Naruto's eyes to get any bigger, but he was proven wrong. "You're the Yondaime's brother! What was he like? Was he really as cool as they say he was?"

Kushina's name meant nothing to the boy. Kaji couldn't say he wasn't expecting such a thing, but it still hurt. He'd have to make up for it. He'd show Naruto every photograph of Kushina he had, tell him everything about his parents-

' _I'm getting ahead of myself. I shouldn't get my hopes up before I know_ for sure _._ ' He repeated that over and over in his head, but it was an exercise in futility; the boy's every word, every gesture reminded him of Minato and Kushina.

"Minato? Let's see... He was quiet, thoughtful, kind, slow to anger but terrifying when he was pushed beyond his breaking point, and the most determined man I ever knew. Only my sister was more stubborn than him. He was a remarkable man, one I'm proud to call 'brother'."

Naruto's previous enthusiasm faded, replaced by a solemn look. "I'm sorry, occhan."

Kaji raised an eyebrow at that. "What for?"

Naruto was examining the ground, studiously avoiding Kaji's gaze. "'Cause I made you remember bad stuff."

Kaji ruthlessly quashed the half-chuckle half-sob that threatened to escape him. He _refused_ to dissolve into a blubbering heap on the ground because of some kind words, especially not in front of Naruto. At the same time, he found the irony truly, excruciatingly painful. 'I _should be the one offering words of comfort to_ him _, not the other way around._ '

"It's okay, Naruto. You didn't do anything wrong."

Naruto was examining his toes now. "But—"

He reached out and patted the boy's head. Naruto's whole body stiffened at the contact, his eyes teacup-saucer-wide again. "But nothing. Both Kushina and Minato would want me to tell you about them. In fact, I'm absolutely certain that my sister would break my legs if I refused to talk about her because I didn't want to 'remember bad stuff'. Besides, I enjoy talking to you, so you can ask me anything you want. Okay?"

Naruto, still wide-eyed, gave him a faint nod; the boy didn't look capable of coherent speech just yet. Kaji tried not to think of the reasons a simple gesture like that would have such an impact on the child. To distract himself from that dark line of thought that could only lead to the deaths of Konoha citizens, he decided to ask the blond boy a few questions of his own.

"Naruto, how old are you?"

It took a few moments for Naruto to focus again. "Four. I'll be five soon," he added quickly.

"Oh? When is your birthday?" Kaji forced his hands to remain relaxed and not clench the swing's chains.

Naruto hesitated a bit, looking nervous. "October 10th," he murmured softly.

Kaji felt like a _Raiton_ jutsu was running down his spine.

"Do you know who your parents were?" The words were out of his mouth before his brain could process them.

"No. Hokage-jiji said they were killed by the Kyuubi when I was born."

It took a considerable amount of willpower for Kaji to suppress his Killing Intent. His hands were now gripping the chains so tightly he wondered how had the bones not broken yet.

"The Hokage told you that?" Naruto nodded. "Did he tell you their names?"

Naruto shook his head. "He said it's best to let the dead rest in peace."

That didn't sound like something a five-year-old would come up with. ' _Definitely the Hokage's words. Evasive ones, too._ '

"Did he ever tell you if you have any other living family members? Any siblings, grandparents, or maybe an uncle?" What did Minato use to say again? Ah, yes. That the Uzumaki had all the subtlety of Gamabunta on a bug hunt.

"No. He said I don't have a family." It was a good thing that Naruto was once again looking dejectedly at the ground; he wouldn't have missed Kaji's searing glare otherwise.

' _That does it!_ ' Kaji was livid. He would go to the Hokage _right now_ and **_demand_** some answers. And the old man had better come clean -or else. He had plenty of ideas about this 'or else', all of them creative and none of them pleasant –not by a longshot. And if the old coot _dared_ lie to him…

Kaji's musings on the prelude to a full-blown war between Konoha and Uzushio were cut short by a yelp from Naruto, who had jumped off his swing. "Oh, no! It's so late! I have go home! See you later, occhan!"

"Wait! I'll walk you there." Kaji was at Naruto's side before the boy could blink; Naruto smiled at him and they started walking in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

Before long, they arrived in front of a rather run-down building. Kaji eyed the flaking paint critically. It wasn't the best part of town, but it could be worse. The front door had been removed some time in the past, revealing a dim hallway and a flight of stairs leading to the apartments.

Naruto stopped before they entered the building. "I gotta go now.

"Goodnight, occhan." He turned to look at Kaji, his face the very picture of sadness before it was hidden behind a smile. But the black-clad young man wasn't fooled. He had seen that same fake smile on his sister's face many times.

He wanted to reassure the boy, tell him everything would be alright, but he couldn't; his doubts held him back. False hope would serve neither of them.

"Goodnight, Naruto."

Naruto started climbing the stairs, leaving Kaji alone in the deserted street.

Well, _almost_ deserted.

"How long are you going to skulk in the shadows?" Provoking an ANBU was something most people avoided, but Kaji was not most people. Besides, he needed to work off some of his anger before barging into the Hokage's residence in the middle of the night. He didn't care about causing a diplomatic incident anymore, but he would prefer to avoid starting a war.

The ANBU appeared behind him so suddenly it was like he materialized out of thin air. Kaji turned around slowly, his every move radiating indifference and boredom.

He found that the silver-haired ANBU with the dog mask was outdoing him on both counts.

"It's been a long time, Kaji-san."

 **-XOXO-**

Kakashi had not expected his presence to go unnoticed by the Uzushio ninja; in fact, he was counting on being detected. It would be _very_ awkward if he had to seek the man out to tell him about his not-so-dead nephew.

What he had not anticipated was _this_ level of hostility.

To the average shinobi, Uzumaki Kaji would seem to be bored out of his mind. Only his eyes hinted at the depth of his anger. Kakashi kept his posture stooped and his body lax, trying to avoid making any threatening motions. One wrong move now and everything would go down the drain.

Kaji narrowed his eyes imperceptibly. "You seem to know me. Who are you?"

"You can call me Dog."

"Not a terribly imaginative name." Kaji was the picture of a charming young man: relaxed posture, sly grin, a derisive remark to an evasive answer. Any illusion of levity, however, was dispelled by his next question.

"Why are you following Naruto?"

Kakashi was certain the older man knew he was not just following the kid. What he didn't know yet was how much he should reveal to someone as hot-tempered as Uzumaki Kaji. Oh, sure, compared to his sister he was downright meek, but that didn't exactly reassure the silver-haired ANBU; anyone was meek when compared to the infamous 'Red Hot-Blooded Habanero'.

"I was assigned by the Hokage to protect him."

"Protect him from _whom_?" There was a dangerous glint in those purple-blue eyes, one that promised death and dismemberment –and not necessarily in that order- to those dumb enough to provoke this man.

The silver-haired man shuddered inwardly. He sincerely hoped listening to his conscience wouldn't earn him a premature death. ' _I haven't cared about my life for years and_ now _I get scared of dying?_ ' Part of him found his predicament hilarious, in a morbid way.

"Here, in Konoha? From pretty much everyone."

He winced behind his mask as Kaji drew his katana.

"Enough word games. I'm not in the mood to play." Kakashi didn't doubt _that_ for an instant. "I have questions. You have answers. Either you talk willingly or I'm going to make you talk. Your choice."

"You're threatening an ANBU directly under the Hokage."

"I'm willing to do far more than threaten. Last chance."

' _Time to make a choice; I hope it's the right one._ ' Right or no, it didn't really matter; Kakashi knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he backed out of this now. In truth, there was never a choice to begin with.

"Not here. Meet me at four a.m. in front of the Memorial Stone near Training Ground Three. You know where it is?" Kaji nodded. "Good. I have to stay and guard Naruto until my relief gets here."

"Don't be late." Kaji sheathed his sword and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi briefly considered being a little late just to spite the Uzushio ninja, but rejected the impulse as childish.

He took his usual spot and waited for Hare to arrive.

 **-XOXO-**

"I thought I warned you not to be late, Kakashi-san." Kaji was leaning on one of the pillars surrounding the Memorial Stone

Kakashi's eyebrow, concealed behind his white porcelain mask, twitched. For once, it was not his fault. Hare had arrived a good fifteen minutes late, giving him a lame excuse about having to take care of some 'things'. Kakashi hadn't failed to see the irony there, but he was entirely unsympathetic; he was _so_ going to get back at Hare for this later.

But to do that, he had to survive his meeting with the quick-tempered man in front of him.

"So, you figured it out."

Kaji gave him a dark smirk. "It wasn't that hard. You should consider covering up your hair. Plus, your choice of meeting place gave you away." Kaji pointed his thumb towards the marked stone. Kakashi knew he was pointing at two of the names carved on that stone: Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin.

"How often do you come here?" The dark-haired man seemed to be genuinely curious.

"Often enough," Kakashi replied tersely.

Kaji didn't press the matter any further; both young men were familiar with loss and the guilt of being the only one left alive.

Kakashi removed his ANBU mask; he was off duty now. Besides, what he was about to do could be considered treason. The elders would certainly view it like that.

He didn't care one bit what _they_ thought.

"As much as I know you'd love to swap stories, we're not here to talk about me, are we?"

"No, we're not. Naruto. Is he…." Kaji paused for a moment, his face a mix of hope and fear so intense, the silver-haired man could barely look at him. "Is he who I think he is? Is he _their_ son?"

"Yes. He is."

In retrospect, he should have expected the black-clad man's outburst.

"Then why does he live like this? Why is he being treated like dirt? Why didn't they _tell_ us? What the **_fuck_** happened here?"

"In a word: politics." He'd come this far. Might as well go all the way and commit full treason.

"Tell me everything."

That was the first agreeable order Kakashi had been given in _years_. He obliged with an eagerness he didn't know he had, telling Kaji everything he knew: how the elders didn't want the vessel of the Kyuubi to leave the village, how they had declared the son of the Fourth dead, how Kakashi had been ordered to keep his mouth shut, how the people of Konoha saw the boy as the reincarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox, how they isolated Naruto and denied his existence.

By the time he was done explaining, Kaji's Killing Intent was suffocating them despite the black-clad man's obvious effort to restrain himself. After taking many long, deep breaths, Kaji finally managed to somewhat collect himself. At the very least, he didn't look ready to start a bloodbath at the slightest provocation now.

"What are you going to do about Naruto?" Kaji was looking at Kakashi the same way a hawk looks at a mouse.

Kakashi squirmed a little; that steely gaze made him very uncomfortable. "Me? I don't have to do anything."

"True. You don't. You didn't even have to tell me all that. You could have kept quiet, just like you were ordered to do. So why didn't you?"

There was a long pause as Kakashi pondered the best way to answer that. He couldn't really explain his decision, not even to himself. Why _had_ he taken such a risk? If anyone ever found out, he would be in the dark cells of the Torture and Interrogation department before he could blink.

"Minato-sensei… He was always there for me." The worlds were halting, uncertain. "After my father killed himself, after my team-mates died… He was there when I needed him most. And I failed him.

"Did you know I was assigned to guard Kushina-san when she was pregnant?" The words were coming faster now, as if a dam had broken somewhere inside him. "For months I was watching over her, shadowing her every step. She and sensei were so happy about having a baby, they were practically glowing. That child wasn't even born yet, but it had already become the center of their world.

"After that night, I tried to step up and do the right thing. If the boy was going to stay in Konoha, then he would need a guardian." He gave harsh, derisive laugh, but it was directed only at himself. "I needn't have bothered. I wasn't deemed fit to take care of a baby; _too unstable_ , they had said.

"Even so, I refused to stand idle and just watch while my sensei's son was sent to live in an orphanage, mistreated every single day of his life. I tried to find a way to take him to Uzushio, but there wasn't any that wouldn't result in disaster.

"So, Kaji," the sudden lack of honorific didn't pass unnoticed by the dark-haired ninja, "I think the real question is: what are _you_ going to do about Naruto."

Kaji didn't hesitate for a second. "I intend to take him with me to Uzushio. He will be safe there. Father and I will take care of him."

"Didn't you listen to what I just said? You can't just grab him and leave. Trust me, if it was that simple, I'd have brought him to you years ago."

"Then, what do you suggest? Should I leave him here?" Kaji's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Kakashi just stared at the dark-haired man evenly, refusing to be provoked. "You must find a way to remove him from Konoha that the Council won't be able to dispute. Family ties won't cut it; they'll just argue that they boy must stay here because he's the son of the Fourth Hokage. They'll offer to reveal his parentage and drown him in riches to keep him quiet.

"Violence won't do either. That'll just start a war nobody can win. Konoha and Uzushio need each other to survive."

"Your Council doesn't feel the same way," the dark-haired man scoffed. "But I see your point. We must outmaneuver them, somehow…" Kaji's mumbling faded and his eyes became unfocused as he tried to come up with ideas.

Kakashi didn't ask for details; he didn't want to know. That way, if –or rather, _when_ \- he was asked by the Hokage to report about the Uzumaki envoy's agenda, he could convincingly claim he knew nothing at all.

Which reminded him…

"Kaji?" He waited until the older man looked at him.

"Yes? Sorry, I spaced out a bit. What did you say?"

"I'm going to have to report your meeting with Naruto to the Hokage." He forestalled Kaji's protest by raising his hand. "I have to; half of Konoha saw you following the ' _demon brat_ ' -kami, how I _hate_ these words."

Kaji gave a nod of agreement, his expression sour.

"Anyway, if I leave that out of my report, the old man will know something is wrong and he'll get suspicious." The legendary 'Professor' hadn't survived so many wars by being naïve, careless and trusting. He was kind, but not stupid.

"However," he smirked, "I will keep quiet about _this_ meeting. I posted my ninken around the perimeter and they haven't detected anyone spying on us. Ninja hounds have excellent senses, so I'm certain that nobody saw us here."

"Someone's gotten paranoid," Kaji said with a smirk of his own.

Kakashi's smirk got smug. "I prefer 'cautious'."

Kaji raised a mocking eyebrow, but the silver-haired ninja chose to leave it at that.

"One more thing. While I'm on guard duty, I can make sure that Naruto has some privacy for, say, a secret meeting with his uncle."

"Thank you, Kakashi. I appreciate it." Kaji was looking at him seriously, all traces of previous mirth gone.

"Don't thank me; it's the least I can do."

Kaji nodded once and turned around, vanishing before Kakashi could blink.

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his temples. He suddenly felt very tired; he craved his warm bed and a nice, hot bath.

Things were about to change, that much was certain. The only thing in doubt was the price of this change.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

So, Kaji is introduced here. I hope you like him. A few things about him and Kenjiro, two OCs that will make up Naruto's new family:

1\. Kaji is not going to be overpowered. He's a powerful jounin level ninja, but not a god who can kill all five Kage with a glare.

2\. Kenjiro is not a god either. He's a Kage level ninja, as powerful as Hiruzen or Ohnoki although, being an Uzumaki, he doesn't suffer from old age quite like they do.

3\. Kaji and Kenjiro are not going to solve every problem in Naruto's life just by existing. Their presence just means different problems for him.

 **-X-**

About the Uzumaki clan symbol:

1\. The symbol of the Uzumaki clan is the red spiral. Why is that? Because that is the clan symbol Naruto and Boruto wear in canon. Notice that from the _Last_ , only Naruto wears it on his clothes and on his armband. Kakashi also has an armband like that, but he's the only non-Uzumaki wearing it post-War (as a sign of trust, perhaps?). Not even Konoha's new flak jackets have it (which makes sense: wearing a clan's symbol means you're a part of that clan). My theory is that once Naruto re-established the Uzumaki clan sometime after the War, he claimed the red spiral as the symbol of his new clan.

2\. For those who don't remember, the red spiral on Konoha's flak jackets was a memento of the alliance with the destroyed Uzushio.

3\. Since Uzushio was never destroyed, Konoha never adopter the red spiral on the back of their flak jackets and shinobi shirts. Doing that would be a grave insult to the Uzumaki clan.

 **-X-**

Japanese words and honorifics:

1\. –sama: used for a person of high social standing which is way above yours (i.e. a merchant addressing a noble). Roughly means 'Lord/Lady'.

2\. –dono: used for a person of high social standing but equal to yours (i.e. a noble addressing another noble). Roughly means 'Lord/Lady'.

3\. –san: standard polite honorific. Roughly means 'Mister/Miss/Mrs'.

4\. –kun: used for a man at the same age or younger than you. It shows friendship and/or affection (i.e. parents addressing their children's male friends, or between close friends).

5\. –chan: used to show deep affection, usually with children as it's somewhat derogatory for adults. It can also be used as an insult, demeaning someone. Roughly means: 'little' or 'dear'. (i.e. affectionate - between siblings)

6\. Kami: To quote Wikipedia: 'Kami are the spirits or phenomena that are worshipped in the religion of Shinto. They are elements in nature, animals, creationary forces in the universe, as well as spirits of the revered deceased. Many Kami are considered the ancient ancestors of entire clans, and some ancestors became Kami upon their death if they were able to embody the values and virtues of Kami in life.' In short, kami are something between spirits, gods, and honored ancestors. Unless a specific one is invoked (e.g. Inari), the word refers to all of them collectively.

 **-X-**

Character Information: Since trying to fit personal data inside a narration tends to ruin it, I'll write it after each chapter.

Hatake Kakashi

Age: 20

Height: 181 cm (5ft 11.5)

Weight: 67.5 kg

Rank: ANBU / Jounin

Chakra Nature Transformation: Lightning (affinity), Earth, Water

Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan (left eye)

-X-

Uzumaki Kaji

Age: 25

Height: 180 cm (5ft 11)

Weight: 68 kg

Rank: Jounin

Chakra Nature Transformation: Water (affinity), Fire, Earth

Kekkei Genkai: Adamantine Chakra Chains

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please leave a review!

* * *

Edit: 06 December 2015 - Text formatting.

Edit: 13 March 2016 - Fixed some spelling mistakes.


	3. Chapter Two: The Red String of Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter Two: The Red String of Fate**

Kaji was standing outside of a textile supplies store, staring at the red scarf displayed behind the glass and trying to make up his mind.

One the one hand, this was the perfect gift for his neph—for Naruto. He had to remember to call the boy by his name. One slip of the tongue would ruin everything before it even began.

Then again, so would getting the kid a present. What reason did the Uzushio ambassador have to offer an early birthday gift to the vessel of the Kyuubi?

But the scarf really _was_ perfect. It was long and a shade of red nearly identical to that of Kushina's hair—

Therefore, it was completely identifiable. The Hokage would immediately recognize it for what it was. He would know that Kaji knew about Naruto; he would hide the kid somewhere nobody would be able to find him again.

Or maybe Kakashi's paranoia was starting to rub off on him. It was just a scarf and red was a beautiful color. Why wouldn't a hyperactive young boy want to wear a vivid red scarf? He was more than fond of orange…

But Naruto could never buy that on his own. No store owner would sell such a high quality item to him.

Which was why he **_had_** to buy that scarf, dammit! Naruto deserved to have something nice for a change! Not to mention that he owed the boy four years' worth of birthday presents.

He lost track of how long he stood frozen in place, locked in fierce internal combat. Thankfully, he'd had the foresight to use a _Henge_ to make himself look like a middle-aged civilian woman, so he wasn't attracting any odd stares.

Muttering an extremely unladylike word, he glared at the scarf. It had been almost a week since he'd first seen the neckwear and he _still_ hadn't decided what to do. But he couldn't put the decision off for later anymore. The deal had been signed yesterday, so his presence in Konoha wasn't required anymore.

He had to leave.

He didn't _want_ to, but he had no other choice. He had already stayed in Konoha far longer than he should have, claiming he wanted to enjoy some time away from the responsibilities. He had drawn out negotiations as long as he could and pretended he was interested in the hot springs here, but it was only so long those excuses would work.

If only he had more time…

Well, he didn't, and there was nothing he could do about it. Not yet, anyway.

All he could do now was buy that red scarf for the boy –and somehow keep it secret from the Hokage.

' _Maybe Kakashi can say_ he _bought the scarf_.' That wasn't a half-bad idea –provided he could convince Kakashi to act like a normal person for a while. On second thought, something like that would be best for everyone.

With a big smile on his face, he entered the store.

 **-XOXO-**

"Hello, Naruto."

Naruto looked up from the small flower bud he had been tending when he heard the familiar voice. Standing a few meters away from him was a tall man dressed entirely in black, smiling warmly at him.

He smiled back so widely he felt like his face was going to split in two. "Hello, Kaji-occhan!"

The man's presence wasn't a surprise to Naruto. He'd shown Kaji his secret hiding place a few days after their talk at the swings, happy to finally have a friend to share things with, even if that friend was much older than him.

It wasn't much; just a forest clearing he'd found a few months ago while he was running away from some mean older boys, but Naruto liked it. It was quiet and no-one bothered him here. Plus, it was filled with flowers. He loved watching them bloom and helping them grow. Plants didn't tell him to go away or glared at him with cold eyes and they always listened to what he had to say; he liked their company.

Kaji sat on the ground facing Naruto and examined the flower bud.

"I see the irises haven't bloomed yet."

"No," Naruto said with a small pout. "How am I going to give them to Ayame-nee-chan if they stay like this?"

The dark-haired man chuckled. "Patience, Naruto. You only planted them a few days ago. It'll take time for them to grow."

Naruto stuck out his bottom lip, his pout in full force. "I don't wanna be patient, dattebayo."

He'd never admit it to his sort-of uncle, but he was one of the very few people around whom the boy allowed himself to act like a normal kid his age. It had taken a while, but he no longer feared the dark-haired man; his eyes were warm and kind, so different from everyone else's.

The sound of laughter filled the small clearing, making Naruto blink in surprise. "I'm not one for patience either," Kaji managed to say between snickers. "I guess it runs in the family," the young man added quietly.

Naruto tilted his head in confusion, closing his eyes a bit. What was _that_ supposed to mean?

Before he could ask anything, Kaji took something out of his coat. "Anyway, Naruto, I have something for you," he said hesitantly and held out a small package in front of him.

It was a small box wrapped in colorful paper, tied… with a ribbon…

The boy's eyes widened. "For me?" The dark-haired man nodded. "Really?"

The young man laughed softly, although his eyes were sad. "Yes, really. Aren't you going to open it?"

Naruto was frozen in place, unable to move. He was being given a gift. Nobody had _ever_ done something like that for him before.

He reached out and took the small package, glad that his hands weren't _too_ dirty. Unwrapping the paper as carefully as possible with his trembling hands, he opened the box and saw something red inside. Poking it, he saw that it was made of very soft and fluffy wool. He pulled it outside the box, trying not to drop it or damage it somehow.

It was a _very_ long scarf. Hands still trembling, he wrapped it around his neck a couple of times. It felt warm and so soft.

It took Naruto a few moments to remember what people said when they were given something. "Thank you."

For some reason, Kaji wasn't looking at him anymore; he was staring at the trees, blinking rapidly.

' _What…?_ '

The young man turned back to him again and gave him a small smile. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."

Naruto turned his attention back to the iris buds, feeling very embarrassed for some reason. Was he supposed to give Kaji-occhan something in return? The Hokage would know, but he wasn't supposed to mention his new friend to the old man. Maybe he could ask Ayame; she knew all kinds of things.

They sat in silence; Naruto was trying to figure out whether he should gather some flowers, while Kaji was fidgeting nervously and pulling out blades of grass.

After a few minutes of this, the dark-haired man nodded and cleared his throat. "Naruto, there's something I must tell you."

"What is it, occhan?"

"I have to leave tomorrow."

Despite his new scarf and the warm autumn day, Naruto felt cold. "Why?"

"The negotiations are over; I have to return to Uzushio and give them Konoha's answer."

' _No, he can't leave! I don't want to be alone again!_ ' Naruto lowered his head, staring at the ground but not really seeing it.

"Can't you stay a few more days 'ttebayo?" He was whining like a spoiled brat, but he didn't care.

"I have already extended my stay here, but I've run out of excuses. If I stay any longer, the elders will suspect something has gone amiss." Naruto didn't understand what the young man was saying, or why he sounded so worried; all he knew was that he was going to be alone again.

He heard a rustling sound and felt a pair of hands firmly but gently holding his shoulders.

"Naruto, look at me." Naruto looked up and saw Kaji-occhan kneeling in front of him. "I won't be gone forever. There are some things I have to take care of in Uzushio, but I will be back for you soon, I promise."

 _I always keep my promises_ , the young man had said once, and Naruto believed him. The only person he trusted more than Kaji-occhan was Hokage-jiji.

"Okay." Naruto forced a smile on his face. It had become so easy, hiding everything behind a smile. "I'll see you soon, occhan."

' _…I hope._ '

 **-XOXO-**

Kakashi left his hiding spot, moving to intercept Kaji. There were some things that needed to be said before the dark-haired man went back to his home village.

Kaji greeted Kakashi with a small nod of acknowledgement as the ANBU landed in front of him. "Hey."

"Hey. How did it go?"

Kaji sighed. "Well enough, I think. It's terrifying how tightly he has latched on to me, like I'm his lifeline or something. Has nobody taken the time to actually _talk_ to the kid before? You know, a normal conversation, not 'get lost, demon'."

"No." Kakashi was not too eager to reopen the how-has-Naruto-been-treated-all-these-years conversation, as it invariably left both Kaji and himself angry and predisposed to violent outbursts.

The older man shot him a dark glare and opened his mouth to respond, probably with something uncomplimentary about Kakashi's intellect and mental capacity, before snapping it shut. "I know," he said softly. "I was just thinking out loud."

Kaji closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck, looking tired. "Has the Hokage suspected anything yet?"

"I can't say for sure, but I don't think so. You know he's had you under surveillance ever since I gave him my initial report. He couldn't find anything suspicious, though, thanks to my meddling, so he's not worried anymore." He gave the older man a smile with just his eye. "Plus, it helps that you have a reputation for being a bit of a scatterbrain."

Another glare from Kaji; he was very good at them, Kakashi noted idly. "Says the man who's at least half an hour late to _everything_."

"Sometimes I'm on time."

"Name _one_ such instance in the four weeks we've had to work together," the dark-haired man scoffed; he still had a nasty glint in his eyes.

Well, there was… no. Maybe… no, not that either. Wait, the first night… No, he was late then, too. Which reminded him, he still needed to pay Hare back for his _helpful_ contribution to the Kakashi-is-never-on-time record.

Since he didn't have anything to say in his defense, Kakashi decided to change tactics. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that the Hokage seems to be convinced you were only interested in Naruto's seal. He hasn't asked me about your whereabouts since you 'interrogated' him."

A few days after his first meeting with Naruto, Kaji had cornered the Sandaime and bombarded the old man with all sorts of complex questions about the 'Eight Trigram Seal' imprisoning the Kyuubi inside the boy. It had taken hours for the Professor to answer all of them to Kaji's satisfaction.

"Happy to help."

Kakashi pinned the black-clad man with a narrowed gaze. "You were enjoying it."

"Of course I was," Kaji huffed somewhat indignantly. "I may not be as proficient in fuuinjutsu as my father of Jiraiya-sama, but I am a practitioner of the art. It's only natural that I would take an interest in a seal as intricate as Naruto's. It truly is a masterpiece, by the way; Minato was a genius.

"That my prodding annoyed the hell out of the old coot was just an added bonus," the dark-haired man said with an almost evil grin.

Kakashi gave a snort of laughter at the massive understatement. 'Annoyed' didn't even _begin_ to cover the Sandaime's feelings. The Hokage was still grumbling about stubborn, overenthusiastic Uzumaki brats pestering him with endless questions about things he was barely familiar with.

But that wasn't what Kakashi wanted to talk about. Since there was no nice way to ask, he decided to just get this over with. "How long will you be gone?"

Kaji's grin faded in a heartbeat. "I don't know. I have to speak with my father and hope he comes up with something other than 'attack Konoha to get back Naruto'."

Kakashi just nodded; he'd been expecting this. The two of them had been unable to come up with a solid plan in the past four weeks. Their only hope was that the much more experienced Kenjiro could see a way out.

"Kakashi?" The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the hesitant, almost shy tone of the usually so outspoken man. "Could you watch over Naruto for me while I'm gone?"

The eyebrow dropped. "Of course. I'll keep him safe."

"Thank you." The dark-haired man looked like a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

Kakashi nodded again, a little embarrassed to receive such heartfelt thanks for promising to do something he would have done anyway.

"Well, then," Kaji said in a light tone that _almost_ sounded genuine, "I should get going. Oh, and if anyone asks, _you_ got him that scarf, okay?"

 _That_ snapped Kakashi right out of his embarrassed fidgeting. "Wait, _what?_ "

"The scarf," Kaji repeated slowly, as if speaking to a three-year-old. "If the Hokage asks, _you_ gave it to Naruto."

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his temples. Had dealing with an Uzumaki always been this exhausting? "Fine. Just remember not to mention my name when you come back."

The dark-haired man chuckled softly and waved goodbye. "I'll see you later."

"Later," Kakashi agreed. He quickly turned on his heel and went back to watching over Naruto.

It was only a matter of time now. The Uzumaki were too stubborn to let something like politics keep them from their family.

 **-XOXO-**

Kaji had been restless ever since the cluster of small islands known as the Land of Whirlpools had appeared on the horizon.

He knew he had annoyed the sailors and his fellow travelers with his endless pacing back and forth on the deck, but he just couldn't stand still for long. He was so close now! Soon, he would have answers which would, hopefully, confirm his expectations. And, once he did, he could _finally_ act.

He practically jumped ashore as soon as the ship tied up at the Harbor, the busiest outskirt of the Whirlpool. Technically, the first thing a shinobi should do when returning from a mission would be to report to the leader of his village, but Kaji was not ready to see his father just yet. Instead, he purposefully made his way to Uzushio's hospital. With great difficulty, he limited himself to walking instead of using the _Shunshin_ to get there faster.

It was a long, painful walk.

After what seemed like an eternity, he was knocking on an office door marked 'Uzumaki Yuzu, Chief Medic'. He pushed the door open when a woman's soft voice answered him and strode into her office.

"Kaji-kun! Welcome back!" The dark-haired motherly woman he'd known nearly all his life greeted him with a cordial smile.

"It's good to be back, Yuzu-san." He carefully closed the door behind him, placed a barrier seal tag on the wooden surface and activated it, wanting to ensure their privacy.

The woman raised an eyebrow and gave him a once-over, concern evident on her face. "Are you alright, my dear? You seem to be a little on edge."

"I'm fine. It's just… I've stumbled across something while I was in Konoha and I wanted your opinion before doing anything further."

"Of course. What do you need of me, Kaji-kun?"

He produced a sealing scroll from one of his coat pockets and unfurled it on her desk. Inscribed on the scroll were four storage seals, each holding a different item.

Yuzu briefly scanned the names of the stored items before looking at him questioningly. "Who do these belong to?"

Kaji took a deep breath, suddenly aware that his heart was hammering against his ribs. This was it –the moment of truth.

"A young boy I met in Konoha. This," he pointed at the first item, "is a pair of chopsticks he used to eat ramen; I don't know if you'll be able to get much out of it, though. I also got a few strands of hair," the second item, "a blood sample from one time he accidentally cut himself," the third item, "and a few more strands of hair, just to be sure." That made all four genetic material samples.

Yuzu had gone very pale; she seemed to have put the pieces together. She swallowed with difficulty and, after two false starts, she finally managed to whisper out her question. "Who should I compare them to?"

Kaji smiled faintly, trying to hide his own nervousness. "Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato. I believe the hospital has medical records for both of them."

"Yes, they are in the archives," she whispered, rolling up the scroll and hiding it inside her lab coat. "I'll start working on this immediately."

Kaji bowed his head deeply. "Thank you."

 **-XOXO-**

By the time the Uzumaki clan head's residence was in sight, Kaji had nearly worked himself into a panic. He was petrified by the irrational fear that the tests would show Naruto was not Kushina's son but someone else, a stranger's child. He _knew_ it was impossible with every fiber of his being, but still…

What would he do if Naruto wasn't his nephew?

He'd grown very fond of the kid; he couldn't deny that. The thought of leaving Naruto to face the scorn and hatred of nearly every person in Konoha on his own made him physically ill. He couldn't do that. He _refused_ to do that.

' _Even if he's not my nephew, I'm_ not _going to abandon him._ ' As an Uzushio shinobi, there wasn't much he could do. If he were appointed permanent diplomatic liaison to Konoha, however... Kushina had held that position before, so there was no reason to deny him the assignment.

Either way, he _would_ help the boy. Nodding his head to no-one in particular, he sealed the promise he made to himself and picked up the pace.

"Well, aren't you looking especially glum today," a man's voice drawled.

Turning around, he saw three young shinobi standing in the shadow cast by a cherry blossom tree outside his home.

The one who had spoken had his arm raised in greeting. He had brown eyes, spiky orange hair tied back with an Uzushio hitai-ate, and was wearing the standard-issue jounin shirt and pants in dark blue. He had donned a slightly modified Uzushio flak jacket over his uniform and had a long sword strapped to his back.

The second man had chin-length red hair with his bangs covering his right eye, and a hitai-ate on his forehead. He too wore dark blue standard-issue jounin attire but, instead of a flak jacket, he had a long sleeved dark grey haori over his shirt. His eyes were unusual, purplish-gray with a ripple pattern.

The woman had golden eyes, shoulder-length blue hair with a single bun, and a paper flower as a hair accessory. She was wearing a blue kimono style shirt with long, billowing sleeves, and long, form-fitting blue-gray pants. Her hitai-ate was also tied around her forehead.

The red-haired man and the woman sighed, shook their heads fractionally, and gave Kaji a small, courteous bow. "Welcome back, Uzumaki-sama."

"Oh, yeah. Welcome back, _Uzumaki-sama_."

It was Kaji's turn to sigh. "I thought I told you three to drop the honorifics when nobody else is around."

The orange-haired man grinned brightly. "You did –several times. But it's so much fun to annoy you."

Kaji rubbed his temples, trying to fight back the oncoming headache. "Did you want something _important_ , Yahiko?"

"Hey! Welcoming you back after you've been gone for so long _is_ important!" Yahiko said vehemently. Kaji's only response was a raised eyebrow, but Yahiko was unfazed. "Besides, from your morose expression we thought negotiations might have fallen apart. We worry about you," he added casually.

"Did something happen in Konoha, Kaji?" The blue-haired woman, Konan, tried to steer the conversation back on track. Sometimes she was far too serious for her own good.

"You could say that." He looked at the three ninja in front of him. He trusted them with his life, but this was not about him.

"Is it about the new trade treaty?" The red-haired man, Nagato, asked.

"No, it's something else, completely unrelated."

"Tell us." Konan's gentle but firm request settled the issue. The three of them had been his closest friends for almost a decade. He could trust them with this.

"Come on," he motioned towards the house. "Let's find a quieter place."

 **-XOXO-**

"SAY _WHAT_?" Yahiko's shout would have reverberated across the entire island if not for the barrier seals securing the room. As it was, it just made everyone's eardrums ring.

"Are you sure about this? _Absolutely_ sure?" Nagato was trying his best to appear calm and was failing spectacularly. He looked like someone had hit him on the head repeatedly with an extremely heavy blunt object.

"Kakashi confirmed the boy's identity but Yuzu-san has not finished the tests yet, so I'm only _reasonably_ sure at this point."

Nagato rubbed his eyes briefly before letting his hand slide down his face. "That's... when you said something had happened, I wasn't expecting _that_."

Kaji chuckled. "Tell me about it. I nearly had a heart attack when I first saw him that night."

"So he's been living in Konoha for five years, hidden in plain sight?" Even Konan appeared to be a bit shaken. Coming from her, that was equal to a near nervous breakdown.

"Yes."

"And, in all this time, nobody figured out who he is?" Kaji resisted -barely- the urge to laugh at the rare sight of Nagato completely thrown for a loop, mostly because he'd been wondering the same thing for four weeks. It really boggled the mind, how people could be so blind.

"Evidently not."

"I don't get it. Did they really think they could get away with this forever?" Yahiko was incredulous, motioning wildly as he spoke. "Are they crazy or just plain stupid?"

"Actually," Konan calmly interrupted their excitable friend's rambling, "they _can_ get away with this."

Yahiko stared at her dubiously.

"Love, loyalty. They don't come from blood ties or duty; they are the result of common experiences and shared pain. All of us know it very well. If Naruto is raised by Konoha, if they care for him and show him even a modicum of love, if they tell him that he was disowned by his mother's family, then he will not question them. Eventually, to him 'family' will be nothing more than the scum who abandoned him when he was born.

"I don't know if that's what Sandaime-sama has in mind for the boy, but we all know that Danzou is capable of far worse than such deception."

Nagato nodded, a grim look on his face.

Yahiko glowered at the wall. "Decrepit old fossils..." After muttering a few more choice words under his breath, he turned towards Kaji. "So, what are we going to do about it? I assume we're getting the kid out of there."

"First, we'll wait for the results of Yuzu-san's tests. As soon as they're done, we are going to present everything to my father. Then," he flashed a predatory grin "we're going to find a way to take back Naruto and make Konoha pay."

He saw equally savage grins forming on his friends' faces, making the easy-going Yahiko, the devoted pacifist Nagato, and the perpetually calm Konan appear downright terrifying. He was glad he would have them by his side for this.

"What are we waiting for, then?" Yahiko got off his seat and strode towards the door. "Let's go harass Yuzu-san! We need those results yesterday!"

Shaking their heads but grinning, the other three followed him to the medical ninja's office.

 **-XOXO-**

Nagato schooled his features into a blank mask as Uzumaki Kenjiro studied the papers Kaji had presented to him. Beside him, he could feel Konan's reassuring tranquility, Yahiko's barely contained restlessness, and Kaji's restrained fury.

The old man's irate expression –Kaji had spared no details in his narration of events– was turning stormier the further he read. Finally, he placed the papers on his desk with exaggerated care and, in a truly stunning display of self-control, he _calmly_ asked his son a single question. "Are you certain about all this?"

"Yes, Father."

The desk's surface exploded, splinters and papers flying in every direction.

"Those _bastards_!" Kenjiro hissed. He pushed his chair back and started pacing the room. "Those BASTARDS! They sent their condolences, how _deeply regretful_ they were and how they would do _anything_ to ease our pain… For FIVE YEARS they've been shamelessly lying to us! They kidnapped my grandson and have the gall to justify it as a necessary act? Unforgivable! I should slay all of them for this insult."

None of the four young ninja was dumb enough to interrupt the old man's outraged rant -they weren't suicidal. They watched in silence as Kenjiro continued stomping back and forth like a caged beast and snarling almost exactly like one.

Nagato didn't have a particularly lofty opinion of Konoha shinobi and the tactics they were willing to employ, but even _he_ was surprised by how low they had sunk.

' _Did Jiraiya-sensei know about this?'_

He probably did; he was the one who had verified the integrity of the jinchuuriki's seal, after all. His letter had been very detailed, indicating he had spent a long time examining both the seal _and_ the child.

' _Child,_ ' he scoffed inwardly. ' _Infant. Naruto was nothing more than a baby at the time._ '

Nagato was crestfallen; he had expected such duplicity from someone like Danzou, but not from his sensei.

Kenjiro had, with great difficulty, regained some semblance of self-control. The old man sat on his chair again and started clearing the desk's surface by picking up the splinters one by one and dropping them on the floor with controlled, precise, almost rhythmic motions. It was probably some kind of meditation exercise. The Uzumaki, infamous for their explosive tempers and short fuses, had developed many such meditation techniques over the centuries.

Nagato took the opportunity to study the Uzumaki clan head. For someone well in his sixth decade, Uzumaki Kenjiro was remarkably hale. His long, straight hair was still flaming red, marred by a few silvery strands. His posture was a little more stooped than it had been when Nagato had met the man nine years ago and his face was creased by many more wrinkles, as both age and grief had taken their toll, but he still held himself tall and proud. He looked more like a man in his late forties.

The old man's robust appearance was not an illusion created by some kind of genjutsu. Uzumaki had naturally longer lifespans and a remarkably strong life force. It was part of their bloodline heritage, just like their absurdly high chakra reserves and the Adamantine Chakra Chains, the visible manifestation of their bloodline.

Kenjiro had finished clearing his desk. Avoiding the cracks, he rested his elbows on the broken surface, intertwined his fingers, and went straight to business.

"Repeat the warning Minato's student gave you."

"Kakashi said that getting Naruto out of Konoha will be very difficult. If we claim him through familial bonds as Kushina's last living relatives, they will respond by flaunting Minato's position as the Hokage. Ultimately, it will come down to a guardianship dispute, which will most likely be settled by Konoha's Council. Needless to say, we're never going to win a legal battle."

Kenjiro nodded gravely. "They will have to offer the Namikaze family clan status, claim that Kushina married into her husband's clan, and present someone as Minato's chosen guardian for his son in order to rebuff our claim, but something like this can easily be accomplished. Continue."

"Grabbing Naruto and running won't work, either. It will be seen as an act of aggression by an allied nation. They will declare war the moment he steps foot outside Konoha's borders, claiming that we have kidnapped their jinchuuriki."

A scoff came from Yahiko; Kenjiro grimaced, but refrained from making any comments. "Do either you or Kakashi have any suggestions?"

"None that wouldn't endanger the alliance, Father."

"I see. Then we simply have to break this alliance," the old man said in the same matter-of-fact tone one uses to comment on the weather.

Nagato felt a shiver travel down his spine. He hadn't been in Uzushio when Iwa -aided by Kiri and a few minor villages- had invaded, but he had heard plenty of stories about those days. The battle to hold the shoreline had been brutal. Uzushio shinobi and rogue ninja mercenaries had fought relentlessly for days to buy enough time for the shinobi of Konoha to join the battle. It was only after suddenly finding themselves outflanked and outnumbered that the invading ninja had broken off the assault and retreated.

Everyone knew that without Konoha's aid, Uzushio would have fallen back then, just like everyone knew that the two villages had been steadfast allies since their founding. To suggest breaking that bond so casually…

"Are you sure, Father? You know what we owe Konoha." Kaji, who had been a little boy barely older than Naruto was now during the invasion, was visibly perturbed.

"Whatever debt we had to them, we have already paid it back. Twenty years and two World Wars have seen to that." Kenjiro lightly tapped the desk with his fingertips. "It would be sheer folly, however, to suddenly leave ourselves alone and vulnerable," he conceded. "We will need allies before we can act. If not that, then non-aggression treaties; trading agreements, perhaps.

"In the meantime, I trust that the four of you will keep quiet about this. We can't let Naruto's existence become common knowledge before we are ready to deal with the consequences." He fixed them all with a stern, unyielding gaze.

"We understand," the four young shinobi chorused.

"Good. Nagato, please bring me that map and the folder holding the latest reports about our neighboring nations from the library."

As soon as Nagato had retrieved the two items, the old man motioned for them to take a seat before unravelling the map of the elemental nations on his desk.

"Now then, we have work to do."

- **XOXO-**

Naruto rubbed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. Finding the idea appealing, he rolled over and buried his face in his pillow again.

It took a few moments for his sluggish brain to realize what day it was today.

October 10th.

He sat up, eyes wide.

His birthday. Today, he was turning five.

Naruto ran his hand through his tangled hair. He didn't know how to feel about his birthday. Most kids thought it was an important day; they got presents and celebrated it with their friends.

Naruto had nothing.

No, that was not true.

Resting on a pile of not-so-clean clothes was the red scarf Kaji-occhan had given him. His first gift _ever_. Naruto took it in his small hands, enjoying once again the softness of the wool. It was a little dirty and smelled a bit like ramen, but he refused to part with it, not even to wash it clean. He was afraid that if he let it out of his sight for too long, someone might take it from him.

Some kids had already tried once. He was the 'demon brat', after all; he didn't deserve to have nice things. Fortunately, he was faster than them.

Shrugging, he wrapped the red scarf loosely around his neck. It was the proof that someone cared about him. It made him think of safety and comfort. Of home.

Not that he would need it today. He wasn't planning to set foot out of his house for _any_ reason, not even if a fire suddenly broke out. He knew all too well what happened when he was outside on his birthday.

Last year and the year before that, the caretakers at the orphanage had told him that he was old enough to 'enjoy the festival like the other kids'. Then, the mean lady with the squinty eyes had grabbed him by the collar and thrown him out, ordering him not to return until the next day.

He remembered only flashes of his third birthday. He remembered walking around the village, trying to focus on the decorations he was seeing for the first time instead of the cold glares he had been getting all his life. He hadn't noticed when the usual mutters of 'demon child' and 'monster' turned into shouts, but he remembered running, more terrified than he had ever been, trying to find a safe spot to hide from the cold, hate-filled eyes of the adults.

On his fourth birthday, he had been much more careful. Knowing what to expect, he hadn't walked around the village. Instead, he had stayed hidden inside an abandoned building, taking care not to make a sound. It was tense and uncomfortable, but he had been safe there.

This time, he had his own house and nobody could kick him out of here. Hokage-jiji had told him there were barrier seals around that would prevent any uninvited guests from entering. Naruto didn't know exactly what that meant; he only knew that he was safe here.

Dressed in his pajamas and the long red scarf, he walked to the small balcony. He wasn't going to leave his home, but that didn't mean he couldn't watch the people on the street. And if anyone looked up, he'd just hide inside again.

Smiling faintly, he lifted his gaze to the Hokage Monument and examined once again the four faces carved there. Jiji had told him about them when he first moved to his new home; he had repeated the story to himself countless times since then.

The Shodai had created the Leaf. The Nidaime had made it strong. The Yondaime had saved it from the Nine-Tailed Fox. And the Sandaime, his jiji, was a great leader; he was the one who took care of the boy and made sure he was safe. All of them were respected, admired and loved by everyone in the village.

 _Loved…_

Naruto straightened his back as the realization hit him.

Everyone in the village loved the Hokage. They greeted him with warm eyes and kind smiles. They wished him a good day. They invited him to visit their shops again. They accepted his existence.

And Naruto wanted even a little bit that acceptance.

No, that was a lie.

He wanted so much more than that.

He wanted what everyone else took for granted. Acceptance. Respect. Love.

The Hokage had all that. But a weak little kid could never become Hokage. Only the strongest ninja in the village could hold the title.

He smiled and idly played with one of the scarf's tassels as he made up his mind. For the first time in his short life, he felt confident. Everything was going to be alright now that he knew what he had to do. His gaze locked on the carved face of the Yondaime: the strongest, coolest of the four.

"I'm going to become a ninja. I'm going to surpass you. And I'm definitely going to become Hokage, dattebayo!"

 **-XOXO-**

The silence that had fallen in Uzushiogakure's Council chamber was deafening. Kenjiro could almost _see_ the minds of the other three clan heads struggling to reboot and process the information he had presented to them.

He was fully prepared to deal with anything -up to and including massive property damage- once they managed to pull themselves together and realized the full extent of what Naruto's not-death meant.

"This is… impossible," Akashio Rei said after a while, having recovered enough from the shock to find her voice again.

"The medical exams show otherwise, as we all see," Nagare Shin, the most practical of the four clan heads, countered. "How could we have missed this?"

"Were we even looking for any signs of deception? We had no reason to suspect our oldest ally," Takashio Hiro said. The equable man was looking positively dangerous for the first time since the Invasion. Then again, so were the other two. Being always few in number, Uzushio citizens –both shinobi and civilians– valued loyalty very highly.

"So that excuses our failure?" Rei bristled. "We all knew there was something suspicious about Konoha's refusal to let an Uzumaki examine the seal all those years ago."

"You mean besides the expected and justified reluctance to expose a defenseless jinchuuriki to a shinobi from another village? Some things are necessary in order to project an illusion of strength." Hiro, being a genjutsu specialist, was well versed in illusionary tactics and necessary deceptions; he never used his skills against his comrades, however.

"So, what you're saying is that they fear a village who has been their ally for _decades_?" Rei snorted. "I don't think so."

Kenjiro cleared his throat to get their attention. "I'm concerned by something else. If they hid my grandson's existence from us, what more could they have kept hidden over the years? As Hiro said, we have always trusted the leadership of the Leaf."

That stopped the two arguing clan heads dead in their tracks

Rei's cheeks flushed from her anger, making her live up to her name. "They wouldn't _dare_ hide anything more from us."

"Wouldn't they?" Kenjiro asked quietly.

Shin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I understand your negative feelings towards Konoha, Kenjiro, but we can't start questioning all the dealings we've had with them over the decades."

"Why not? Are you afraid of what we might find?" Hiro countered.

"I am afraid your reactions. The three of you are angry –for entirely different reasons, but angry nonetheless. This is not an ideal mentality to have when making decisions that will affect the lives of thousands of people. You are forgetting how much we depend on Konoha," Shin explained calmly.

"As much as it pains me to admit it, Shin's right. We don't have the manpower to stand on our own and even if we did, Uzushio is in no way self-sufficient." Rei's sour expression indicated that if there was an alternative, _any_ alternative, she would rather cut off her own hand that admit this.

"We all speak of needing Konoha's aid, but is it really true?" Kenjiro asked his fellow clan heads.

"We need three things: a number of shinobi to bolster our ranks, a steady supply of chakra absorbing metal, and a defensive line to protect our island nation in case someone tries to invade. But we don't need to get those things from Konoha. This alliance, which once allowed both villages to prosper, has become toxic for Uzushio.

"Konoha relies on us for a lot of things. We fortify their defenses with sentry and barrier seals. We supply them with high quality explosive tags, and seal-enhanced weapons and armor. We offer shinobi to assist them with patrolling the Land of Fire. In fact, without our aid, Konoha would have fallen after the Nine-Tailed Fox destroyed their fortifications and killed my son-in-law.

"In return, what do we get? Dubious offers of assistance. _One_ skilled ninja when we ask for a squad. Inflated prices for chakra absorbing metal. You have all seen the latest trade agreement –which, I should point out, is the best we have been offered in the last few years.

"We speak of debt owed, but the truth is that we owe Konoha _nothing_ anymore." He locked eyes with each of them, letting them see his resolve and daring them to contradict him. "Perhaps it's time we broke this alliance."

Surprisingly, the first one to speak was Hiro. "I agree. Under the reign of the Third Hokage, our once honored alliance has been trampled on too many times to count. There's no exchange anymore, only capitulation on our part. As per the latest treaty, the Takashio clan is asked to send two full squads of medical ninja to 'bolster the defensive line protecting both villages'." The venomous tone made his own thought on the matter extremely clear. "In return, we're simply to be given a pat on the back."

"You got off easy," Rei said sourly. "I have to send four squads of my best combat specialists. How are we supposed maintain our status if we can't accept missions from clients due to a lack in manpower? At this rate, Uzushio will crumble inside a decade."

"We'll be lucky if we last that long." Hiro muttered darkly.

"I understand your grief, but we can't simply break that alliance; to do so would be tantamount to suicide." Shin's reluctance was not entirely unexpected. The Nagare clan was comprised mostly by civilians, so they weren't affected _quite_ as much by the terms of the new treaty. It was their unparalleled skill as blacksmiths that made them one of the four great clans of Uzushio, not their ninjutsu prowess.

"I would not have come before you without an alternative ready," Kenjiro reassured them. He passed the folders documenting the plan to the other three.

For a long time, the only sound inside the council chamber was the rustling of paper as pages were turned. Then, Rei cackled. "Oh, this is _evil_ , Kenjiro. How long have you been working on this?"

Kenjiro felt his lips tugging up in a small smile. "Since my son returned from Konoha four weeks ago."

"It _is_ a sound plan," Shin said reluctantly.

"Provided all the village heads agree to those terms." Even though Hiro was trying to sound dismissive, the glint in his eyes betrayed his desire for retribution.

"Not everyone needs to agree," Kenjiro informed them. "Allow me to explain…"

 **-XOXO-**

By the time Kenjiro summoned his son to his office, it was already past midnight. It had taken the Council much longer than he had anticipated to sort out all the details with the new treaties. Now, however, came the really difficult part.

"How did it go, Father?"

"Better than we expected." He motioned for Kaji to take a seat. "The others were very receptive; they even made some interesting suggestions. They also agreed to let you handle the negotiations, since they feel you are sufficiently motivated to make sure they succeed." He smirked as Kaji chuckled.

"Don't worry, I won't fail. I'll leave in two days."

Without warning, Kaji's grin fell and was replaced by a downcast look.

"Is something wrong? I thought you'd be pleased to finally have something to do instead of 'sitting around twiddling your thumbs', as you so aptly put it."

Kaji grimaced. "It's just… It was Naruto's birthday today."

Kenjiro didn't need any words to understand how his son was feeling. "I wanted to have him here as well. But I promise you, the three of us will celebrate his next birthday together."

"I know, Father. I'll make sure of it."

 **-XOXO-**

Kaji was sipping his -admittedly excellent- green tea, waiting patiently for the Fourth Raikage, Ay, to finish studying the papers in front of him.

It was a losing battle. 'Uzumaki' and 'patience' didn't fit together in the same sentence, unless it was to describe how much they _lacked_ this so-called virtue. To Kaji's knowledge, only his late brother Kenshin and his friend Nagato had the self-control necessary to wait for something to happen without complaining about how long it took. He decided to study the Raikage's office to occupy himself with something; Ay's bodyguards seemed to be getting a little uneasy by his fidgeting.

'Office' would not be the first word he would choose to describe this place. It was more like a gym in which someone had decided to place a desk next to the barbells, dumbbells, and assorted training equipment. He found that the room suited the man: Ay was built like a mountain, with arms like tree trunks and muscles upon muscles. Kaji was utterly stumped by the fact that this giant of a man was –currently– the fastest shinobi alive.

The Raikage _finally_ put the papers down and looked at him through narrowed eyes. "What's your game, Uzumaki?"

"There is no 'game'," Kaji said, careful to keep his voice level. If the rumors were true, then 'Unruly' Ay was even more short-tempered than an Uzumaki. It wouldn't do to anger him before the deal was sealed. "Everything you have read is genuine."

"Do you take me for a fool? What you offer is far too good to be true. There's no way Uzushio would suddenly break away from Konoha."

Kaji had to admit that the Raikage raised a valid point. Under normal circumstances, such a proposal would be unthinkable. Thankfully, there were ways to reassure the mountainous man without revealing their true motives.

The dark-haired man made a signal and Yahiko, his 'bodyguard' in case the Raikage got any funny ideas about trying to capture an Uzumaki again, presented a scroll to the assembled Kumo ninja. "Take a look at this, Raikage-sama."

The guard with the puffy hat took the scroll out of Yahiko's outstretched hand and inspected it carefully for traps before handing it to his boss. Ay opened the scroll and swiftly skimmed through it, scowling.

"Is that your idea of a re-negotiation? Or are you hoping to scare me into signing your original offer?"

"Neither," Kaji said evenly. "This is the trade agreement Uzushio signed with Konoha four months ago. As you can see, it's not as beneficiary as we would have liked." He allowed a smirk to appear on his face. "I assume I don't need to explain any further why Uzushio would seek new trading partners."

Kaji didn't need the Yamanaka clan's mind reading jutsu to know what Ay was thinking. If the relationship between the Leaf and the Whirlpool had deteriorated to such a degree, then perhaps the Cloud could exploit this and gain an advantage over the other villages. Provided, of course, that…

"To how many other villages have you offered the same deal?"

This time, Kaji suppressed his smirk; it would be unwise to let the Raikage know how predictable he was. "We have offered similar terms to a few others. Before you ask, no, I won't reveal which ones. Suffice it to say that we have not approached Iwa and Kiri, nor do we plan to do so.

"All things considered, I believe this agreement will be highly beneficial for both Kumo and Uzushio, Raikage-sama."

And it was. Yearly supply of high-quality seal tags aside, the Cloud was offered the opportunity to acquire, in time and if the new treaty proved beneficial for both parties, a small number of seal-enhanced weapons and armor.

Weapons made from ordinary chakra-absorbing metal costed at least as much as an A-Rank mission. The ones that had ordinary or even inferior quality seals inscribed on them were worth twice as much. But a weapon or piece of armor that had been augmented by the Uzumaki clan's secret fuuinjutsu was worth a small fortune. Until now, only Konoha had access to the latter category of items. The tide had turned, however, and even though the Raikage didn't know what had brought about this sudden change, he would have to be a complete fool to let such a golden opportunity pass him by because of suspicion –or worse, frugality.

After all, all the Cloud had to offer in return was a reliable supply of raw materials to the Whirlpool, along with the unspoken promise of protection from any invading forces. It was a reasonable exchange, just one step before a formal alliance.

"So it will," the Raikage reluctantly agreed. Kaji relished watching the Raikage's face turn an interesting shade of purple as he looked torn between decking the dark-haired man in front of him and embracing him.

Deeming that the former was far more likely, Kaji decided to wrap things up. "Then I believe we are in accord."

"We are." Without further ado, the papers were signed and handed to the Uzushio envoy.

The mountainous man rose from his seat and Kaji followed suit. They shook hands; Kaji tried not to wince as his hand was crushed in the Raikage's steel grip.

As soon as they exited the building, Kaji glanced at Yahiko and allowed a victorious smirk to flash briefly across his face. Yahiko responded with a smug grin of his own.

"Are you still in one piece?" Yahiko asked, far too cheerfully for Kaji's liking.

"I'll live," the dark-haired man deadpanned. "I can't tell if he was really trying to break my hand or that's just how he normally greets everyone."

"He's got an _office_ in his _gym_. Were you expecting anything different?"

Kaji raised an eyebrow. "I think it's the other way around."

"I know what I said."

The two men looked at each other for a moment before promptly bursting into laughter.

"So, I guess we're done here?" Yahiko asked when they recovered from their laughing fit.

"Yeah, we're all done. Kumo was the last stop."

They were finally ready to act.

 **-XOXO-**

Naruto was sitting on the swing outside the Ninja Academy, looking wistfully at the building. He couldn't _wait_ to start learning how to be a ninja. It was the first step to achieving his new dream. Nobody would be able to call him 'demon brat' once he became Hokage. He would make them see that he was a person, just like all of them.

He felt his lips tug up in a feral grin, baring his longer-than-average canines.

No matter what, he would make them see _him_.

A sudden gust of cold air made him shiver and he lifted his red scarf to cover up his half-frozen nose. The smile fell from his face the instant his hand touched the soft wool and was replaced by an expression of profound sadness.

' _Maybe… Maybe he_ won't _come back again. Maybe he saw what everyone else sees and hates me now._ '

It was his greatest fear, the one that tormented him as days had turned into weeks and then into months. The Rinne Festival was coming soon and Kaji-occhan had _still_ not returned. He had promised he'd be back soon, but it had been four months since that day. What could be so important that he wouldn't be able to visit even for a few days?

"…Byakugan monster."

That word, one that Naruto had learned to associate with himself ever since he was old enough to understand words, broke him out of his depressed thoughts. He looked around nervously, trying to find the other boy before he snuck up on him.

He saw not one but _three_ boys to his left, a few meters away from his swing. To his surprise, they were not ganging up on him; instead, they were harassing a girl about his age.

Naruto felt something snap inside him just then. All his life, he had been the target of everyone around him, hated for no reason other than simply breathing. He was always alone. Nobody wanted him and nobody else was treated like him.

But this girl… They had called her a monster, too. She was like him; somehow, he was certain of that.

For the first time in his life, he decided to fight back against the tormentors instead of running away.

So what if it was three of them, all older and taller and stronger than him? He had to help her. Before his newfound courage could leave him, he took a deep breath and jumped out of the swing. "Hey! Leave her alone!"

He started running towards them, slipping in the snow but managing to keep his balance -barely. He was proud of himself for not falling flat on his face after such a dramatic entrance. The older boys, however, were not impressed by their diminutive opponent.

"Who are you, kid?"

"Get lost!"

"Yeah, get lost, brat!"

These words again! These hateful words everyone was shouting at him whenever they saw him. ' _No! I exist! I will_ make _you see!_ '

"My name is Naruto! I'm going to be the next Hokage!" He clenched his small fists and glared at them, daring them to dispute his words.

They happily obliged by laughing themselves silly.

"You, Hokage?"

"Yeah, right!"

"Get lost before you get hurt."

"I'll show you!" He was not going to back down, not now. He refused to disappear, to become nothing, just like they wanted.

Besides, if he ran away now, the girl would still be in trouble. She was looking at him, her bright white eyes filled with tears. He couldn't leave her like this.

Naruto extended the index and middle fingers of both hands and formed a cross pattern, just like he'd seen than Uchiha police guy do once. "Take this! _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_!"

He eagerly waited for the smoke to clear. If he'd done the jutsu right, then an identical copy of himself should have appeared. He had practiced for weeks before he managed to get 'chakram' -or whatever it was called- to form inside him.

The smoke finally cleared and revealed two perfect clones of Naruto… in pocket size.

Naruto blinked at the two little chipmunks as they started challenging the older boys, who were laughing hysterically now.

Suddenly, he saw one of the boys aiming a fist at him. There was no time to dodge, not even to close his eyes before it hit him square in the face.

 **-XOXO-**

Hinata watched horrified as the blond-haired boy fell on his back, blood spurting from his broken nose.

"Come on, get his scarf!" One of the older boys shouted and they grabbed the long red scarf the blond boy was wearing.

She wanted to move, to help him, but she found herself rooted in place. What chance did _she_ have? There were three of them and she was a talentless failure, unable to so much as _graze_ her cousin, Neji, in their sparing matches. The Hyuuga elders always whispered about her ineptitude in the _Jyuuken_ among themselves; not even her father believed in her.

She was unable to stop the tears from running down her face as the three bullies used the scarf to swing themselves from a tree branch. Why was this happening? She hadn't done _anything_ to hurt them! She had just been walking, not bothering anybody when the three older boys had seen her and started mocking her for her eyes.

It wasn't her fault! _Every_ Hyuuga had the Byakugan. She was _born_ like this.

The red scarf was tattered now, almost completely destroyed by the bullies whose names Hinata neither knew nor cared about. They dropped it on the ground and turned to her and the unconscious boy.

"Heh, a weakling like him becoming Hokage. What a joke! Let's go, guys!" The meanest of them, who seemed to be their leader, waved his hand and the other two followed him quickly, getting out of her sight not _nearly_ soon enough. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Hinata stood up and walked to where the scarf had been discarded. She gingerly picked it up, careful not to rip it apart any further. Examining it closely, she saw that it was beyond saving. Strands of wool had been broken and were hanging loose, creating many large holes on the once beautiful neckwear. Despite its current ruined state, she could tell that it had once been a luxurious item, soft and warm.

She felt even more dismayed that _she_ was the reason it had been destroyed.

She saw the blond-haired boy twitch slightly and squatted next to him, waiting for him to wake up. She hoped he hadn't been hurt seriously.

Without warming, the boy shot up, startling her.

"Not yet! I'm not done yet!" He fell in a sloppy taijutsu stance as he bellowed his challenge. "I'm… going... to…" He trailed off as he noticed that the three older boys were nowhere in sight.

Looking around him, he saw her, still crouched and holding his scarf. He sighed and squatted in front of her, staring at his ruined scarf and absently rubbing his bruised eye. Hinata felt a pang of guilt in her heart when she saw that he couldn't open it completely.

"It's not fair. I was going to beat them 'ttebayo…" he mumbled, looking dejected.

Hinata didn't know what to say to make him feel better. She didn't have much experience talking to other kids her age –or talking in general, for that matter. As the heiress of the Hyuuga clan, she was expected to keep quiet, listening to everything that was said but not speaking unless spoken to.

Still, she had to say _something_.

"They ruined your scarf. I'm sorry."

She looked at the ground, hoping it would open up and swallow her. ' _Great job, Hinata. Why don't I poke his bruises next?_ '

The look of pure, crushing dismay on his face just then hurt her almost like a physical blow. She extended her hands, offering him what remained of the scarf that was obviously so precious to him, but he dismissed her with a wave of his hand. It was a casual gesture, but Hinata saw tears welling up in his eyes before he stood up and turned to leave.

He had already taken a few steps when Hinata found her courage again. "Wait!"

The blond boy turned around, one blue eye half closed. It seemed he had managed to hold back his tears for now. Maybe he didn't want to cry in front of a stranger –Hinata knew _she_ never wanted others to see her cry and think she was weak.

"Thank you," was all she managed to say to this strange boy who had stood up for her. The Hyuuga heiress didn't have to acknowledge the presence, let alone _thank_ , someone the clan elders would dismiss as a 'worthless urchin'. Even so, she bowed her head to the blond boy. She wanted him to know how much she appreciated what he had done for her.

He smiled at her, a crooked grin that lit up his blood-covered face.

"See ya later!" He waved goodbye and ran off.

Hinata stared at his back until she could no longer see him. A warm smile was gracing her face as she hugged the tattered scarf close to her heart.

 **-XOXO-**

Nagato retied his obi over his long-sleeved haori, making sure it was resting comfortably over his shirt and the mesh armor undershirt. On his right, Yahiko was fastening the buckles of the wide leather strap that tied his sword to his back. On his left, Konan was adjusting her billowing sleeves and quickly forming hand seals to test if they hampered her mobility in any way.

Satisfied with their last minute check, they all looked up. Kaji had just finished pulling on his black fingerless gloves, his katana already strapped to his back.

They were ready.

Without exchanging any words, they walked outside the house and stood next to the other Uzumaki shinobi gathered there. Many more Uzushio ninja were waiting near the docks, ready to board the ships that would carry them to the Land of Fire.

Everyone had grim expressions on their faces. They all knew what this mission was about.

Kenjiro walked outside the house, flanked by Akashio Rei and Takashio Hiro. If there were any lingering doubts about whether the elders were serious about breaking the old alliance with Konoha, they were all laid to rest right then and there. The three clan heads were walking side by side with matching expressions of determination and enough concealed weapons and seal tags to destroy a small country -or maybe a formerly allied village.

They were more than ready.

 **-XOXO-**

Naruto was angry with himself. What had he been thinking?

The red scarf was a gift. It was _his_. He was supposed to take care of it! But he had given it away, just like that!

He was so _stupid_!

 _Why_ had he given his scarf to the pale-eyed girl?

' _Because she was nice. Because she was like me._ ' He had never felt such a connection with another person before, a bone-deep _understanding_ that they were both unwanted and hated.

So what?

The scarf was _his_. It may have been torn up, but it was the only proof he had that someone cared about him.

 _What_ had he been _thinking?_ He didn't even know her name!

Stupid, stupid, _stupid_ , _STUPID_!

He punched a tree next to him and doubled over, holding his now bleeding hand. The pain brought him back to his senses. He realized he had somehow walked all the way to his secret hiding spot, his feet following the well-known path without his brain's approval. He was still angry, though. How could he _not_ be angry?

He had given away the scarf.

What was Kaji-occhan going to think when he found out?

' _He's going to hate me. He's going to say I'm worthless_.' He would lose his only friend because he was too _stupid_ to hold on to a piece of cloth.

Anger melted into despair and he felt tears burning his eyes, but made no attempt to stop them from falling. This was his safe place; he was alone here, free to be himself without anyone judging him.

He sat with his back against the tree trunk and buried his face in his knees, sobs wracking his small body.

It never even occurred to him that he might have gained a new friend that day.

 **-XOXO-**

Nagato was stealthily scanning the crowd surrounding them, noticing some of Konan's origami butterflies fluttering around. She had discreetly spread her paper scouts across Konoha as soon as they had entered the village.

He was surprised by the reception they were receiving. The news about the Uzushio delegation had spread with a speed that put wildfires to shame. The Festival had gotten livelier; all around them, there were happy faces and friendly welcomes. The people of the Leaf hadn't seen that many Whirlpool shinobi standing under the shadow of the Hokage Monument since the Kyuubi incident so, naturally, they were ecstatic, thinking that all was well again.

How wrong they were.

"Did you find him?" Kaji murmured softly, so that only they could hear him.

"No, not yet. I'll extend my search radius." Konan narrowed her eyes in concentration and Nagato saw her chakra spike for a moment.

"Do you even know what you're looking for?" Yahiko muttered while smiling pleasantly at a cluster of Konoha girls looking at them, making them blush and giggle. Nagato was profoundly grateful his best friend hadn't picked up _more_ of Jiraiya-sensei's bad habits.

"A boy with chakra reserves equal to an adult's," Konan explained in an undertone.

It was a reasonable guess, given that Naruto was a jinchuuriki. He probably had more raw chakra than most low-ranking ninja.

"That will work," Yahiko said lightly.

"I'm also going to extend my sensory perception as far as possible, in addition to searching the crowd with my Rinnegan. Between myself and Konan, we'll be able to track him down soon."

"And since I'm not a sensory type, I'll just smile and wave to put everyone at ease. We wouldn't want them to think we're planning anything subversive, now would we?" Yahiko gave a small wave to a bunch of kids watching them.

They all chuckled lightly at that, grateful for the small reprieve. The journey to Konoha had been nerve-wracking, with everyone on edge and ready for anything. Nobody knew what would happen once they found the boy; the only thing they could tell with absolute certainty was that Konoha wouldn't give him up without making a fuss.

Knowing his luck, Nagato was fully prepared for the worst. The very _worst_. The kami know that things always managed to spiral out of control whenever he was around.

Nagato sensed something on the very edge of his perception; he closed his eyes and focused on that spot far away from the festivities. In his mind's eye, he saw a child overflowing with chakra; it was like a beacon, drawing his attention and drowning out everything else. What really surprised him, though, was that even from this distance, he could feel the _warmth_ of that chakra; it made him think of sunlight and bright colors, like yellow or maybe orange.

"I've found him," he said quietly. "A child shining like a small sun."

With a nod and a few inconspicuous hand signals from Kaji, the Uzushio shinobi shuffled like a deck of cards. Nagato, Yahiko, Konan, and Kaji slipped into a side-street, while the places they had just vacated were swiftly filled by four others.

"Lead the way."

 **-XOXO-**

Naruto was sitting on the swing outside the Academy, his new favorite place in the village, idly tracing patterns on the snow with his sandal. He was going to try to sneak a peek at the Festival later, when it would be dark and there would be more shadows for him to hide.

Hmm. Maybe he could play a prank on that guy with the fruit stand. He was always mean to Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-nee-chan, shunning them because they served ramen to the 'Demon'. Yeah, he deserved to go down. Nobody messed with Naruto's friends.

' _I'm going to need some orange paint… no, orange paint_ bombs _… and some wire… and maybe some glitter._ ' He snickered and started planning the details of the prank with glee. Oh, this was going to be good!

He was in the middle of figuring out how to rig a paint-glitter bomb to explode on the shopkeeper and make him identical to his 'renovated' shop when he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Hello, Naruto."

Even though he hadn't heard it in months, he'd recognize that voice anywhere. "Kaji-occhan?"

His dark hair was shorter than the boy remembered and his cheeks were a bit red from the cold, but it was him. He had a big smile on his face which seemed to be just for Naruto.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" the dark-haired man said warmly.

Naruto hesitated for a moment, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him; then, he launched himself at the dark-haired man and tackled him into a hug. He felt tears burning his eyes before they escaped, only to be absorbed by the man's long coat.

"Hey." Naruto didn't answer; he just kept hugging the stuffing out of Kaji. The dark-haired man took hold of Naruto's shoulders and knelt so their eyes were at the same level.

"Hey," he repeated softly. "What's wrong, Naruto?"

' _You were gone for so long and I didn't think you were ever coming back._ '

"…You're back."

"Yes. I'm sorry I took so long, but certain matters took more time to arrange than I'd expected." Naruto frowned. What 'matters'?

The young man tightened his grip slightly. "But I'm here now, and I'm not going away again."

Naruto sniffled and wiped away his tears with his sleeve. "P-promise?"

"Yes, I promise." There was something about the intensity in Kaji's eyes, and that kind, gentle smile the boy had never seen before that made him feel safe. "You're never going to be alone again, Naruto."

Naruto wanted to believe him; he wanted it so badly it made his chest hurt.

He suddenly noticed that they were not alone. There were three other people with them, standing a few meters away. How long had they been there? And _why_ were they there?

Kaji looked him up and down, frowning. "Aren't you cold? It's freezing out here. Why aren't you wearing your scarf?"

Naruto panicked. This was it. He was going to get mad now and leave again, this time forever.

"I… I don't have it anymore," he mumbled.

"Oh. Did you… lose it?"

"S-some boys were picking on a girl. I tried to help her, but they knocked me out and tore apart my scarf. I'm sorry, occhan. I t-tried to…" Why was it so hard to keep his voice from trembling? He'd been alone all his life, so why did it matter if his friend left him again? He'd be right where he started. "… to…"

He was pulled into an embrace and felt warm hands gently patting his back. "It's okay, Naruto. I'm right here. Everything is going to be alright." The words were soft, soothing; Naruto felt himself relaxing.

"I'm really proud of you, kid."

Naruto's eyes, hidden in the crook of Kaji-occhan's neck, widened. "Y-you are?"

"Yeah. You did something great."

"But I didn't _do_ anything! I couldn't help that girl; the boys just left her alone. And I got the scarf you gave me tattered. I messed up."

The black-clad man sighed and pushed Naruto back far enough so they could look at each other again; he was still holding the boy's shoulders. "Naruto, I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you, okay?"

Naruto nodded.

"That day, you could have done nothing and abandoned that girl to her fate. Instead, you stood up for her; you _protected_ her. It doesn't matter that you failed; what matters is that you tried. You refused to walk away and let those boys bully her, didn't you?" Naruto nodded again. " _That_ is why I'm proud of you."

"But the scarf—"

"Is _not_ more important than another person," the dark-haired man said firmly.

Naruto stood there blinking at the young man and gaping like an idiot, desperately trying to cope with what had just happened. Kaji-occhan wasn't mad at him; instead he was proud. _Proud!_ He felt his head swimming in the clouds, overwhelmed by the young man's unconditional approval. This was… everything he ever wanted.

Naruto sniffled; he was _not_ going to cry again.

"So," Kaji grinned, "who _was_ this girl you risked your life to help?"

"I don't know," Naruto admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I forgot to ask her name. The other kids were calling her a monster because of her white eyes."

"White eyes?" the man with the orange hair asked, making Naruto jump; he had completely forgotten about the three strangers. "Was she a Hyuuga?"

"Probably," the red-haired man answered him.

"What's a 'Hyuuga'?" Naruto asked, puzzled.

"Not _what_ , but _who_ ," the orange-haired man snorted. "The Hyuuga are one of Konoha's most powerful shinobi clans. You must have seen them around. White eyes, brown hair, superior attitude, a tent pole stuck—"

" _Yahiko!_ " The blue-haired woman hissed suddenly.

"—stuck inside their heads."

Naruto thought that sounded very painful. "Why do they have a tent pole stuck inside their heads?"

"Yes, Yahiko, why _do_ they have a tent pole stuck inside their heads?" Kaji's face was calm but his eyes were narrowed dangerously.

"Simple." Was this Yahiko guy sweating? "Because they are not right in the head. They are stuck in the past, always going on about 'tradition' and 'destiny' and other such nonsense."

"Nice save," the red-haired man said with a grin.

"Thanks, Nagato."

Naruto closed his eyes and tilted his head in confusion. "That girl had blue hair and she was nice. She even thanked me for getting beaten up. Are you sure Hyuuga are like that?"

"Well, not all Hyuuga are stuck-up ass—… as stuck-up as I said. But there are plenty of them like that and they give the rest a bad name."

"Huh." Naruto thought it made sense. "Kinda like how Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-nee-chan are nice to me, but the other shopkeepers chase me out?"

Yahiko made a face like he was forced to eat a bowl of vegetables. "Yeah, kinda like that, kid."

The four adults exchanged looks; they seemed to be very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

Kaji-occhan broke the silence. "Well, Naruto, how would you like to come with us to the Festival?"

He _really_ wanted to go and spend more time with Kaji-occhan –and his friends, who seemed nice. "I don't know…"

"Don't worry, Naruto. We'll be with you the whole time. Besides, there's someone I want you to meet. He's waiting for us there."

 _That_ got Naruto's attention. "Who is he?"

Kaji chuckled. "You'll have to find that out for yourself. So, do you want to go?"

Naruto thought it over for a moment; it wasn't like anything bad would happen if the four of them were with him. "Yeah, okay."

"Thank you, Naruto." The dark-haired man looked around for a moment. "We should get going. I don't want to turn into a chronically late friend of mine." The last part was barely more than a whisper.

"Uh, that's great and all," the guy the others had called Yahiko said, "but you might wanna introduce us to the kid before we go."

"Oh, right," Kaji said awkwardly. "Naruto, meet my friends. The goofball with the orange hair—"

"Hey!" said 'goofball' protested; Kaji just ignored him.

"—is Yahiko. The quiet one" he pointed to the red-haired man with the strange eyes "is Nagato. And the serious one" he pointed towards the pretty blue-haired lady. "is Konan. Guys, meet Naruto."

Konan gave him a small smile. "Hello, Naruto. We're all very pleased to finally meet you."

Naruto blinked. "Pleased… to meet me?"

"Of course. Kaji's told us a lot about you," Nagato said with a smile of his own.

"He's talked about little else these last few weeks," Yahiko added with a bright grin.

The blond-haired boy couldn't keep up anymore. First, Kaji-occhan was proud of him. Then, there were three other adults who were happy to see him. And all of them were serious! What was going on here?

"Is this a dream?"

The smiles fell from the grown-ups' faces and they all just stared at him. ' _Oops. I didn't mean to say that out loud._ '

"No, Naruto," Kaji finally said. "This is not a dream. This is very real."

He extended his hand towards Naruto. "Come. They're waiting for us."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

About Naruto:

1\. Emotional abuse is severely underestimated; you don't need to physically abuse someone to scar them for life. Naruto grew up all alone. He was socially isolated and shunned by everyone around him. He was ignored, hated, cursed, and called 'it' instead of 'him'. He's craved acknowledgement for as long as he can remember. So, when it's being handed to him on a silver platter all of a sudden, he's terrified to lose it once again.

2\. Some writers turn Naruto into a human punching bag, but that's both unnecessary and a bit unrealistic. Unnecessary because all you need to mess up someone is treat them like trash long enough for them to actually believe it (the mind truly is a powerful thing). Unrealistic because no-one is foolish enough to actually hurt someone under the Hokage's protection without some _serious_ backing (Konoha _is_ a military city-state, after all).

 **-X-**

About the Rain Orphans: Yes, all three are alive and kicking.

1\. How: In this story, Nagato managed to save both Konan _and_ Yahiko from Hanzo's ambush. Therefore, he doesn't become 'Pain'.

2\. Akatsuki: Oh, they're still around (Itachi, Deidara, and Hidan haven't joined yet), hunting Tailed Beasts and kicking puppies. They just don't have Pain and Lady Angel.

 **-X-**

Additional notes: 

1\. About the Rinne Festival: I place it at December 21st, the day of the Winter Solstice. It's the longest night of the year, so I figure it would be the perfect time to hold a festival about rebirth and new beginnings.

2\. The chakram is a throwing weapon from India. It is circular in shape with a sharpened outer edge and ranges in size from approximately 12–30 centimetres (4.7–11.8 in) in diameter. The chakram is primarily a throwing weapon but can also be used hand-to-hand. (directly from Wikipedia)

3\. Hinata's sparring partner is Neji here. Hinata and Naruto are five years old, Neji is six and Hanabi is not born yet, so I changed things a bit to better fit the timeline.

4\. In Japanese, the iris is called 'ayame'. In Hanakotoba, the language of flowers, it symbolizes good news and loyalty. Naruto doesn't know the meaning of the flower, but he knows Ayame likes irises.

5\. Marrying into a family: Unlike western marriages where the wife gets her husband's name by default, Japanese couples can choose which of the spouses will change their family name. For example, a man can adopt his wife's family name if her family is more influential and/or wealthy than his or if the woman is the last of her family and doesn't want the family name to die out. It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it.

 **-X-**

Japanese Words:

1\. Uzumaki: (うずまき - 渦巻き) Whirlpool, eddy, coil, spiral.

2\. Akashio: (あかしお - 赤潮) Red Tide. A phenomenon known as an algal bloom (large concentrations of aquatic microorganisms) when it is caused by a few species of dinoflagellates and the bloom takes on a red or brown color.

3\. Takashio: (たかしお - 高潮) Storm Surge. A coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low pressure weather systems (such as tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones), the severity of which is affected by the shallowness and orientation of the water body relative to storm path, and the timing of tides.

4\. Nagare: (ながれ - 流れ) Stream, current, flow, course of events.

 **-X-**

Answers to reviewers:

1\. About Naruto's power and disposition: Naruto will be powerful, but not overly so. When the chuunin exams start (don't despair, it won't be a long arc), he's going to be at roughly Gaara's level of power without the homicidal tendencies. As for his attitude towards killing his enemies… You have probably guessed that the Ame Orphans are going to teach him, so he'll be exposed to Nagato's (less nihilistic) philosophy about the Cycle of Hatred much sooner. Naruto will value human life and will hesitate to kill someone who does not deserve it. When he meets someone who _does_ deserve it, however, things will get… complicated.

2\. About Karin: She's going to be introduced in the next couple of chapters and she's going to be Naruto's sister in all but blood.

3\. About the Uzumaki clan: Their most advanced fuuinjutsu are Hidden Jutsu passed down solely to clan members. They are feared because they have developed various kinds of seals, which they can inscribe on weapons and armor to enhance them (think: enchanted weapons). The masks inside the Uzumaki clan's Mask Storage Temple are simply the most exquisite and unique samples of the art. (Canon shows that they had somehow imprisoned the _Shinigami_ inside a mask, so I think I have more than enough room to work here.)

4\. About power levels: That's a tricky one. If you want comparisons in terms of raw chakra, the Uzumaki will always win, hands down. As to who is stronger than who, that's a lot more complicated, as it depends on the jutsu they know and on the battlefield. A _Suiton_ user will have a disadvantage in the desert, a fuuinjutsu practitioner will be unbeatable if he has time to rig the battlefield with seals, and so on…

 **-X-**

Character Information

Uzumaki Nagato

Age: 24

Height: 176 cm (5ft 9)

Weight: 61 kg

Rank: Jounin

Chakra Nature Transformation: Wind (affinity), Fire, Lightning, Earth, Water, Yang

Kekkei Genkai: Rinnegan

Yahiko, clan name unknown

Age: 24

Height: 177 cm (5ft 9.5)

Weight: 64 kg

Rank: Jounin

Chakra Nature Transformation: Water (affinity), Fire, Wind

Kekkei Genkai: -

Konan, clan name unknown

Age: 24

Height: 170 cm (5ft 7)

Weight: 47 kg

Rank: Jounin

Chakra Nature Transformation: Wind (affinity), Earth, Water, Yang

Kekkei Genkai: -

 **-X-**

On a side note: Lava is written 溶岩 (ようがん – yougan) and Yang is written 陽 (よう – you). The result is that Lava Release and Yang Release are pronounced the same way: Youton. I'll always clarify which one I mean.

* * *

Thank you for reading. Please, review and share your thoughts.

* * *

Edit: 13 March 2016 - Fixed some spelling mistakes.


	4. Chapter Three: Fallout

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Fallout**

Itachi was observing the scene in front of him with a frown on his face. The dark-haired Uzushio ninja was holding Naruto's hand and the five of them were now making their way to the festival. If he had to guess, he'd say they were headed towards the Hokage and the Head of Uzushio.

He could see no way to peacefully retrieve the boy. If he tried to intervene, it would result in a four-against-one fight, one that he couldn't win without backup. Using his Sharingan, he had seen that each of the four Uzushio shinobi was more powerful than him. It wasn't a surprise, really. Itachi was talented, but he was still an eleven-year-old boy. He had a long way to go before his chakra reserves could back up his talent.

The logical thing to do would be to immediately inform the Hokage about—

 _Never let Naruto out of your sight._

Kakashi's words echoed inside his head, halting him before he could move.

In the almost five months he'd been guarding Naruto, Itachi had seen enough to make him hate human beings. Every time he returned home from this particular guard duty, he embraced his little brother and told him that he would always be there for him.

Itachi examined the four Uzushio shinobi again. The black-haired one and the redhead had the red spiral on their backs, proof they were members of the Uzumaki clan; the absurd amount of chakra each of them had only confirmed this. The man with the orange hair and the woman were also wearing the Uzumaki crest, but on their shoulders —a mark of allegiance to the clan bestowed on a trusted non-clan member.

His frown deepened.

He remembered his mother's best friend, the red-haired Uzumaki Kushina. She was loud and short-tempered, but not malicious. If her clansmen were like her, then there was no reason to fear they would harm Naruto.

 _The man's comatose state…_

Itachi suppressed a sigh. He would rather face the Hokage's stern disapproval than Hatake Kakashi's homicidal rage. He was not strong enough to survive the latter; not yet, anyway.

Trapped, he kept his place behind the small procession.

 **-XOXO-**

There were only three things that were stopping Naruto from running away to escape the cold eyes of the crowd of people gathered for the Rinne Festival.

The first was Kaji's hand, which was gently holding his much smaller one; he tightened his grip and felt the young man squeeze his hand lightly in return. The second was the knowledge that Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were walking right behind them; the three of them had surrounded him and the dark-haired man and were glaring right back at everyone else. The third was the sight of the Hokage's red-and-white hat and robes in the distance; nothing would happen to him while jiji was around.

Bracing himself, he raised his head to look around again. If he wanted them to see him, then he'd have to be able to stare them down.

To his surprise, there were fewer cold looks directed at him than he'd feared there would be. Instead, many people were looking at him with open curiosity –some were even smiling at him.

 _'What's going on? Did everyone around here go crazy today?'_

The blond boy noticed that a large part of the crowd was made up of shinobi, and that most of them didn't have the leaf on their hitai-ate, but a spiral –just like the four walking around him. Strange. Hadn't Kaji-occhan said that Uzushio shinobi didn't come to Konoha anymore? Naruto certainly didn't remember seeing any before he met the dark-haired man, not even during the festivals.

The five of them stopped walking in front of the raised platform where the important shinobi of the village were sitting.

"I apologize for the delay, Father," Kaji said with a small bow.

Naruto's eyes nearly flew out of their sockets before he realized that the dark-haired man was _not_ addressing the Hokage, but the man sitting next to him. He was old, but most of his long hair was still flaming red. ' _Just like my scarf,_ ' Naruto thought suddenly. He frowned and shook his head; where had _that_ thought come from?

The red-haired old man slowly left his seat and walked towards his son. Or, at least, that was what Naruto thought he was going to do before the old man kneeled in front of _him_.

Naruto gulped as the old man stared at him with an expression the boy couldn't even begin to understand. The old man's mouth was moving like he wanted to smile, but his eyes, purple-blue just like Kaji's, were strangely bright and watery. ' _How can a person be happy and sad at the same time?_ '

He tried to take a step back, but Kaji held his hand tighter; the young man was smiling at him softly. "There's no need to be afraid, Naruto. He's the one I told you about. Allow me to introduce you to my father, Uzumaki Kenjiro. He's been waiting to meet you since before you were born."

Naruto finally accepted that this day was weird. Nothing made sense anymore. There were _more_ people who _wanted_ to see him? Was someone playing a prank on him?

And why was the red-haired old man still _staring_ at him like that? It was as if... as if he was searching for something in Naruto's face. The boy opened his mouth to tell him to _stop that_ , but a tear fell from the old man's eyes before he could get the words out.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, grandson."

 **-XOXO-**

Hiruzen almost cursed out loud when he saw young Kaji walking down the main street, holding Naruto's hand. Beside him, Kenjiro had stopped his nervous tapping of the chair's arm with his fingertips and was sitting straighter.

A random Uzumaki coming across the boy would be worrisome, but not overly so. _This_ was a disaster. Kaji had spoken to Naruto again and, this time, it seemed that he wanted to introduce the vessel of the Kyuubi to the rest of his clan.

No, 'disaster' was too mild a word for this fiasco. When Hiruzen found out who had let Kaji come within a ten-meter radius of the blond boy, heads would roll.

Unlike his son, Kenjiro was known for paying great attention to detail; he would instantly notice the boy's resemblance to Minato. Then again, anyone with functioning eyes should be able to see that Naruto looked just like his father. And, even if by some miracle the old seal master failed to spot the obvious, Hiruzen would be damned the moment a 'dattebayo' fell out of the boy's mouth.

The aging Hokage racked his brains trying to come up with a plausible excuse to have an ANBU escort Naruto as far away from here as possible. Glancing at the Uzumaki clan head again, he felt his breath catch in his throat. The redhead was absolutely still; his eyes were fixed on the small, vibrant blond boy next to the tall, black-clad young man and he was _smiling_.

A horrible suspicion took root in Hiruzen's mind. He scanned the crowd and noticed just how many Uzushio shinobi were scattered among the citizens of Konoha –far too many to be an honor guard for the three visiting clan heads.

It hit the Hokage like an avalanche in the Land of Frost during winter.

' _They know._ '

Kaji, that infernal brat, hadn't accidentally ran into Naruto just now. No, he knew. He already _knew_ about the boy. He'd been playing them for fools for _weeks_ and they didn't have an _inkling_ of what was going on.

And how in the name of every kami in existence had the Uzumaki managed to sneak an _army_ inside Konoha without raising any suspicions? Rinne Festival or no, security should have been tighter than this. Had Danzou gone soft when Hiruzen hadn't been looking?

Before Hiruzen could mentally berate himself for his own lapse in vigilance, he saw Rei nodding sharply at nothing in particular. Like someone had flipped a switch, the Uzushio ninja stopped smiling, laughing, and mingling with the crowd of revelers; suddenly, dozens of foreign shinobi in the middle of Konoha tensed as if in anticipation of a battle.

"I apologize for the delay, Father." The brat had this smug smile on his face, making the aging Hokage's blood boil.

From somewhere on Hiruzen's right came a faint mutter of 'troublesome'. Of course Shikaku would have figured out everything from a simple exchange of introductions. Now, if only there was a way to ask the Nara for a strategy to deal with this without getting the civilians present involved in a bloodbath.

Hiruzen heard a strangled exclamation from Homura and felt more than saw Koharu wringing her hands in helpless fury as Kenjiro left his seat and walked towards the young man and the boy standing in front of the platform. Naruto was looking distinctly uncomfortable being the focus of the old seal master's unwavering gaze, but the Uzumaki brat didn't let go of the boy's hand. "There's no need to be afraid, Naruto. He's the one I told you about. Allow me to introduce you to my father, Uzumaki Kenjiro. He's been waiting to meet you since before you were born."

Kenjiro –that old, conniving bastard– was kneeling in front of Naruto now. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, grandson."

And there it was. The moment everything came crashing down in flames.

There were gasps coming from the honorable heads of Konoha's shinobi clans, as well as from a few of the more sharp-witted jounin and chuunin. If it didn't mark the beginning of the end, Hiruzen would have laughed at the perversity of the universe and the folly of man.

' _Now that it's been rubbed in their faces, they_ finally _see._ '

- **XOXO-**

Naruto closed his mouth and blinked; he must have heard wrong. He blinked again.

"'Grandson?' What are you talking about, jii-chan?"

The old man looked up at Kaji. "You didn't tell him?"

"No. I thought you should be the one to tell him, Father," the young man said with a small smile.

"I see." The old man turned his eyes to the boy again. "Your mother, Naruto, was my daughter. Therefore, that makes _you_ my grandson."

"My m-mother?" Naruto asked shakily.

"Yes. Her name was Uzumaki Kushina." The blond boy knew that name; he'd heard it before, along with another, more well-known one. But, if this Kushina lady was his mother, then... "And your _father_ ," the old man raised his voice at the last word, "was Namikaze Minato. The man you know as the Fourth Hokage."

There were more gasps from the crowd, along with shouts of 'Impossible!' and 'There's no way this is true!', but Naruto didn't care one bit about them right now.

The Yondaime was his _father_. And he also had a _grandfather_.

No, it couldn't be –it was too much. This _had_ to be a dream, like the ones he used to have back in the orphanage.

From what seemed like a great distance, Naruto could hear people shouting and arguing with each other. A woman's voice was audible above the noise, telling everyone to _shut up_ and take a good look at the kid before opening their mouths again. The blond boy ignored all of them; instead, he looked up at his dark-haired friend. "Is this real?"

"Yes, it is." Kaji squeezed Naruto's hand and gave the boy a warm smile. "Nephew."

 _Grandson. Nephew._ The words finally started to make sense. He had a family. _He had a family!_ But, then…

Naruto pulled his hand out of Kaji's grip and took a few steps away from the two men. The red-haired old man was up on his feet in an instant, but neither of them tried to approach the boy.

"If you're my family, then where have you been all this time?" He clenched his small hands into fists. "Where were you when I needed you? Why did you leave me ALONE?"

His breaths were coming in hard, shallow gasps now and he was trembling, but he didn't care. He kept glaring at the two men who had the _nerve_ to call themselves his family after abandoning him to deal with all of _this_ every day of his life.

"We didn't know about you, Naruto," the old man said softly.

The boy snorted; yeah, right. How could they _not_ know about him?

"I'm not lying, child. We were told that you had been killed along with your parents five years ago."

"You were _told_?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"I know this will sound as a flimsy excuse, but after Kushina died, I was... devastated." The incredibly sad look on the old man's face made Naruto heart ache, even though he wanted to stay angry with the geezer. "I had already lost two sons; losing my only daughter was..." He shook his head; another tear fell from his eyes. "I didn't want to set foot anywhere near Konoha so soon after that, so I trusted Sarutobi's word."

Sarutobi…

…The Hokage? The man who called himself his grandfather had been told he was dead by _the Hokage_?

"It was a stroke of luck that Kaji met you in that ramen stand that day," the red-haired old man, his _grandfather,_ said. "If he hadn't, we may never have learned that you were still alive."

Naruto turned towards the man he trusted more than anyone else and had been calling 'gran'pa' his entire life.

 _This will be your new home now, Naruto. What do you think?_

 _It's awesome! Thanks, jiji!_

 _Tell me about my parents, jiji._

 _They died when the Kyuubi attacked. I've told you this before, Naruto._

 _Yeah, but you didn't tell me who they were._

 _They were great people, and they loved you very much. That's all I'm going to say about them. It's best to let the dead rest in peace._

 _Do I have any brothers or sisters, jiji?_

 _No, Naruto. You don't have any other family._

Lies. He'd been told nothing but _lies_ by the Hokage. Naruto had never been so angry in his life. His belly felt as if it were on fire; soon, the feeling spread to the rest of his body, making him tremble.

 **" _Yes. The Hokage has been lying to you your entire life. He made you stay in this place, kept you away from the people who might have cared for you. He's the reason you've been suffering for as long as you can remember. Do you want to make him pay for this, boy?_ "**

' _Yes! He_ has _to pay for taking everything away from me._ '

A low, rumbling laughter echoed inside Naruto's head. **" _Good. But you can't do it alone. I will give you a bit of my power. Use it to hurt him as he has hurt you._ "**

Red. It was all around him now, a gift from the voice inside his head. It enveloped him, held him tightly, until red was all he could see. His body, too small to contain such a force, felt like it was going to be ripped apart. But once the pain faded, came _power_. He didn't know how else to describe it, that feeling that he was now able to do anything he wanted, that nobody would be able to stop him.

And what he wanted to do was hurt the ones who had hurt him.

Starting with the lying old man.

 **-XOXO-**

Hiruzen felt his heart break when he saw Naruto's face. Those expressive blue eyes, which had never truly managed to hide the boy's sadness and pain from him, were filled with an agony he had never seen before on the blond boy he had come to regard as a grandson.

Then, the boy's eyes narrowed in an expression that was just as familiar but a hundred times more terrible. He had seen that look many times in his life, but never on a five-year-old.

A gust of red chakra tore through the crowded street, making everyone quail in abject terror. They all knew that horrible, dark, suffocating chakra; it had been five years since they'd felt it, but no-one would ever forget.

 _Kyuubi_.

Hiruzen looked at Naruto, that wonderful splash of sunshine who had always managed to find something positive in life and kept fighting despite bearing everyone's hatred, and felt his blood turn to ice.

The boy was surrounded by a shroud of red chakra. Somehow, it was changing Naruto's appearance. The unruly spikes of his hair had turned wilder, his hands ended in claws, and the thin whisker lines on his cheeks were now harsh marks. But the most terrifying part of this transformation were the boy's eyes; the bright blue irises were now blood red, with slits instead of pupils.

Those demonic eyes were fixed on him, cold and merciless. He could see Naruto's hatred in them, as well as and older, deeper hatred that demanded blood to be satisfied.

People were wailing now, scared out of their minds by the oppressive chakra. For five years, they'd been treating Naruto like a demon, thinking that by ignoring the boy and denying his existence, the demon would not hurt them. The truth, however, was much different than that. Naruto was not a demon; he was just a little boy who held a Tailed Beast in check with help from a seal and his own willpower. And now that he had been pushed well past his limit, he was willing to break that seal and use the Kyuubi's power to get his revenge.

The people of Konoha had created their own nightmare.

And Hiruzen had allowed this to happen.

 **-XOXO-**

The Hokage was staring at him now with a look of sorrow and pity on his face.

Naruto glared harder. How dare the old man look at him like that? Like… like he was _worried_ about the boy. If he really cared, then he wouldn't have left him to live like this; he wouldn't have lied to him.

 **" _It's infuriating, isn't it? The way he looks at you like he's your kind old grandfather._ "**

 _'Yes._ ' A small part of him, the one that could still think calmly, wondered who that voice belonged to and why had he never heard it before, but the rest of him didn't care. The voice knew him, knew what he wanted. It was enough.

 ** _"Kill him, Naruto. It's the only way to make him stop looking at you._** **"**

The boy bared his teeth in a mockery of his usual smile, revealing long fangs; he liked that plan.

Before he could jump on the platform to slice the Hokage to ribbons, a dark figure flashed in front of him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Naruto! Calm down! Look at me, kid!"

Kaji shuddered when Naruto turned his crimson eyes at him, but didn't move.

"That's right, look at me. Keep your eyes on me." The young man spoke every word slowly, clearly. "Calm down. Take a deep breath. Can you do that for me?"

 **" _Why should you listen to him, boy? What has he ever done for you? You heard what the old man said; it was only luck that he found you that night. He never looked for you. He never cared to find out if you were alive._ "**

The voice was right. "Why should I do as you say? You left me alone all these years."

"Yes, I did. And I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm so sorry. I wish I could go back and change everything."

Naruto saw something flicker behind Kaji, and his head snapped up. The gray-haired old woman next to the Hokage had frozen when she felt his glare; her hand was still raised in some kind of signal.

 **" _See, boy? The Hokage is not going to let you go with your family. He_ can't _let you go, because if he does, he's going to lose our power. You will never be free as long as he lives._ "**

"Don't move!" Kenjiro barked. "Everyone stay where you are!"

"Don't look at them, Naruto! Look at me! Focus only on me." The boy turned his attention back to the dark-haired man. "I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. I promised, didn't I?"

Yes, he _had_ promised that.

Naruto did as the young man –his uncle– told him. He took a deep breath.

"That's it," Kaji said with a small, encouraging smile. "Hold it for a while… Now let it out… Good. You're doing great, Naruto. Again, deep breath…"

 **" _Do you honestly believe that things are going to be better with 'grandfather' and 'uncle'? How do you know they won't betray you, just like your 'jiji'?_ "**

"Breathe. Please, Naruto, you need to keep breathing…" The dark-haired man sounded desperate.

' _Kaji-occhan won't betray me; he's my friend._ ' Naruto took another deep breath. ' _Please, I don't want to hurt him._ '

 **" _Very well. But remember, if things don't turn out the way you want them to, I'll always be here._ "**

Breath by breath, the red power faded. Without it, however, Naruto's body felt really weak. The boy swayed, unable to stay standing; one by one, the other colors faded as well, leaving only black. The boy's last thoughts before he fainted were about that strange voice.

' _Where is 'here'?_ '

 **-XOXO-**

Kaji caught the wobbling Naruto and cradled the boy in his arms, listening to the sound of his breathing.

The Hokage had already taken control of the situation and was trying to calm the panicking crowd. "Naruto needs to be taken to the hospital. That amount of chakra could have seriously hurt him."

Kaji instinctively held the unconscious boy closer to him. At the moment, he didn't care that the man who had given the order was known as the God of Shinobi and had decades of combat experience over him. He didn't care that the Professor was stronger than him. All that mattered to him was that Sarutobi Hiruzen had asked him to let go of Naruto.

That would _never_ happen.

He rose to his full height, glared at the Hokage, and hit him with the full force of his Killing Intent. "No."

Uzumaki Kaji was not in a Kage's league yet, but he was close. He had made a name for himself as a master of the sword during the Third Shinobi World War. He was an expert at fuuinjutsu, effortlessly combining it with his kenjutsu. He was willing to do anything for those precious to him and had the raw power necessary to back up his stubbornness. As such, even though he had neither the sheer amount of chakra nor the daunting presence a jinchuuriki possessed, his KI was nothing to laugh at.

The crowd cowered in fear once again; the dark-haired man had the satisfaction of seeing some of the heads of Konoha's most powerful clans do the same.

Kaji felt a hand grip his shoulder tightly. "Calm down, son. No-one is going to take Naruto away." Kenjiro turned towards the platform where the other two Uzushio clan heads were standing. "Hiro, could you…?"

Before his father could finish his sentence, Hiro was already next to the dark-haired man and had placed his hands over Naruto; the middle-aged man's palms were glowing with chakra as he used medical ninjutsu to examine the blond boy.

After a few tense moments, Kaji couldn't stand the silence anymore. "How is he?"

"He's fine. Just a mild case of chakra overload. Not surprising, considering…"

"Indeed." Rei had also approached the black-clad Uzumaki holding the unconscious boy. "To be honest, I never thought he'd be able to draw out so much of the Kyuubi's chakra at his age."

There was a collective gasp from the crowd as the most closely guarded secret of the Leaf was revealed so nonchalantly. The brown-haired head of the Akashio clan didn't seem to pay them any mind.

"Neither did I," Hiro said, still holding chakra-infused palms over Naruto. "At least we know now that anger is the trigger."

"He must have really trusted you, Hiruzen," Kenjiro said solemnly.

' _Though not anymore, from the look of things,_ ' Kaji mused, remembering the struggle he had gone through to convince Naruto not to tell the old coot about their secret meetings; the boy had trusted the Hokage implicitly.

Hiro withdrew his palms and took a few steps back, giving Kenjiro some room to approach his grandson. Kaji's father looked intently at the unconscious boy before placing a hand on his blond hair, moving it away from his forehead. "Is there anything more you can do for him, Hiro?"

"No. I may know a bit of medical ninjutsu, but I'm not a medic. Don't worry, Kaji," Hiro said, raising his hands to forestall the young man's protest, "he's _fine_. The damage to his chakra coils has already started to heal. He's got an amazing recovery rate; I don't think he even _needed_ my help. Just let him sleep for a while."

The dark-haired man nodded and hugged the boy closer to him; Naruto's orange shirt and blond hair stood out against the young man's black coat. His father ruffled the boy's hair one more time before drawing back his hand.

"Kaji, take Naruto and go to his apartment. Fortify it and barricade yourselves there. I will be with you shortly." Uzumaki Kenjiro, head of the Uzumaki clan and leader of Uzushiogakure, turned towards the Hokage and his advisors; his eyes were as cold as ice.

"Sandaime Hokage-dono, it's time we talked."

 **-XOXO-**

Nagato sighed and rubbed his temples as he watched Yahiko trying –and failing– to keep the other Uzushio shinobi under control.

He wondered how long it would take his friend to realize that it was a lost cause.

Everyone had been on edge for days. They came to Konoha fully expecting a battle; hell, some of them were _hoping_ for one. Bad blood had festered between two villages in the past few years, even in shinobi who were not part of the four great clans. The 'detainment' of the Uzushio Head's grandson was just the drop that made the glass overflow. The way the people of Konoha had treated the boy in question had only served to turn that drop into an ocean.

However, instead of venting their anger and frustration for past, present, and even _future_ slights, they had all been told to sit back and wait.

Guarding the child was important, of course, but even Nagato was feeling restless. He wasn't a bloodthirsty man –far from it. He hesitated to take a life, knowing that every death was more fuel for the never-ending cycle of hatred. It took a lot to make him cross that line.

The Rinnegan bearer could have happily gone through life without ever finding out that 'mistreating a child' topped 'hurting my friends' in his reasons-to-kill list. He was ashamed to admit –even to himself– that, if his friends and comrades hadn't been standing right next to him when the citizens of Konoha had started muttering about the 'demon child', he would have given into the impulse and used a _Shinra Tensei_ to turn the Leaf into a crater.

"Everyone, SHUT UP!" It sounded like Yahiko had finally realized the futility of his undertaking. The easy-going man was glaring at the gathered ninja, daring them to speak another word and test his obviously fraying patience.

One man –who didn't seem to be particularly adept at reading the atmosphere– opened his mouth to say something before he was elbowed in the gut by the guy next to him.

"You think I don't know what you're all thinking right now?" Yahiko said, loud enough to be audible to everyone. "That was a five-year-old boy they just called 'demon' and 'monster' and kami know what else in front of us. If _that_ is how they act in front of visiting foreign dignitaries, then how do they _normally_ treat the kid?"

Nagato saw many men and women scowl and nod and Yahiko's words. Glancing at Konan, he noticed that she had a dark look on her face, along with a few paper shuriken floating around her.

"But what about that chakra?" The elbow in the gut had obviously failed to teach that fool his lesson. There was another series of nods among the crowd, though considerably less this time.

"What about it? Don't tell me you've started believing that bull about jinchuuriki," Yahiko scoffed. "The basics of storage seals: you can put anything inside the seal, but the scroll it's written on remains a scroll –it doesn't turn into a cabbage or a pair of socks or whatever. Come on, I thought you Uzushio-born ninja learned about this stuff while you were still in diapers."

A few chuckles were heard, marginally easing the tension.

"Still, if you _really_ want a confirmation, then let me tell you this. I spoke with Naruto briefly and I can tell you with absolute certainty that he's no demon. The Kyuubi has no hold over him."

"Then he _willingly_ did that?" The fool –whose name Nagato wished he could remember for… future reference– just didn't know when to shut up. "That's not exactly reassuring, captain."

"I would like to see how _you_ would react if you'd just learned that everything you've been told your entire life was a lie." Konan's voice held none of her usual gentleness; it felt sharper than a kunai and ten times as deadly. The rapidly spinning paper shuriken only added to her aura of menace.

The man flinched and tried to make himself as small as possible to avoid the dark looks everyone was giving him; Nagato heard faint mutters about idiots who spoke without thinking.

Yahiko chose to ignore both the scowls and the muttered insults, grabbing on to the opening Konan had given him, instead. "While I doubt everyone would have the same reaction, I think that all would fall under the category of 'violent'."

' _It's fortunate that Yahiko is so good at talking to people,_ ' Nagato thought as he listened to another round of chuckles going around the crowd. However, there were plenty who didn't appear to be mollified.

"Shouldn't we be _doing_ something, then?" A kunoichi from the middle of the crowd asked. "I've got a kid that age; I wouldn't let anyone treat my son like that and get away with it."

"Don't worry. Kenjiro-sama, Rei-sama, and Hiro-sama are already giving Konoha's powers that be a piece of their minds," Yahiko said with a wicked laugh. "I doubt we can do better than them."

"If that's the case, then why are we all here?"

"We're here to look intimidating. If the shinobi of the Leaf get clingy and decide they don't want to let us go with the kid, then we'll fight them. But" Yahiko looked daggers at everyone again "we're _not_ here to attack civilians and children."

There was some uncomfortable fidgeting among the Uzushio ninja.

"So all of you had better get back to your posts and watch for any approaching Konoha shinobi. We're in enemy territory now and we have a non-combatant to protect."

With cries of 'Yes, captain', the ninja dispersed and went back to their posts. Some jumped to the rooftops of the apartment complex and the buildings around it, while others stayed on the streets, concealing their presence. Many of those bearing the red spiral of the Uzumaki started drawing sealing arrays to secure the perimeter, trusting their comrades to watch over them while they worked. The red-haired man smirked; in half an hour, the entire block would be impregnable.

Nagato exchanged a nod with Yahiko, making sure his friend was in control here, and headed inside the appropriated apartment complex. He stifled a groan as he looked at the flight of stairs he had to climb; Naruto's home was on the top floor.

The small apartment wasn't what one would call roomy or lavish, but it was decent. Although filled with the kind of mess only a small child living without any adult supervision could create, it felt... cozy. The potted plants on the windowsill certainly helped, both aesthetically and by giving the room a pleasant smell. Nagato didn't know anything about botany, but he could guess from what Kaji had mentioned about Naruto that the purple-blue flower was an iris; the name of the orange flower, however, would remain a mystery to the Rinnegan bearer.

Kaji had lain Naruto on the small bed and had covered him with a blanket. The dark-haired man was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, watching the boy with a thoughtful frown on his face.

Nagato didn't want to intrude on this peaceful scene but, as Yahiko had said, they were in enemy territory now. There would be time for compassion later. "Looks like the crisis has been averted for now."

"Good."

Nagato furrowed his brow in confusion; where was the man who had been so excited about meeting his nephew that he could hardly talk about anything else for the past few months? "Is something the matter, Kaji?"

"No." His dark-haired friend looked up, saw the dubious look Nagato was giving him and sighed. "Yes. For a moment back there, I..."

The red-haired man kept quiet. He knew that if he interrupted now, Kaji would just bury whatever was troubling him deep inside and would never speak of it again.

"...I was afraid, Nagato." Kaji turned to look at the sleeping boy again. "For a moment, I looked at Naruto and all I could think was 'Kyuubi'." He buried his face in his hands. "Is this how it all began here? Is this what's going to happen in Uzushio, too?"

"No," Nagato said with conviction.

"What makes you so certain? Familial bonds don't preclude people from hating each other, you know"

It all became clear. Kaji was not afraid of Naruto; he was afraid of himself. He was terrified that one day he would not be able to see his nephew, but only the demon inside, and that thought was clearly tearing him apart.

"I'm certain because I know you and Kenjiro-sama. Neither of you could ever hate Naruto."

Nagato's suspicions were confirmed when Kaji lifted his head from his hands; his eyes were frantic, desperate for some kind of comfort. He could not show his friend what he was seeing, but he could try to explain.

"If you truly believed that Naruto was the Kyuubi, then you wouldn't be sitting by his side now, waiting for him to wake up. You wouldn't be so worried about what will happen to him in Uzushio." He smiled. "You wouldn't have hit the Hokage with Killing Intent when he suggested that Naruto should be taken to the hospital."

Kaji laughed nervously and rested his head against the wall. "I really threatened the Hokage," he whispered, closing his eyes. It seemed that this little bit of foolhardy bravery hadn't registered with him yet. "What was I thinking?"

"My guess would be: 'you're not taking my nephew away from me, old geezer'. Or something along those lines."

"Yes… I would have fought him, too, had my father not intervened. And…" Kaji's eyes went wide with wonder as he finally realized what Nagato was trying to tell him "…I would do it again. In a heartbeat."

The Rinnegan bearer smiled. "That's what family is for, right?"

"That, and beating each other up," Kaji said with a lopsided grin.

Nagato bit back a snort; he'd seen enough playful brawls between the Uzumaki siblings to know that Kaji _wasn't_ joking.

"You're right, Nagato," the dark-haired man said after a few moments of silence. "Father and I will never hate him."

"Neither will Konan, Yahiko, and I," he assured his friend. "He's a good kid. Besides, he's not the only one carrying a burden he never wanted." Nagato pointed at his ripple-patterned eyes. Even though they had helped him get his friends and himself out of some very dangerous situations, they had also caused him a lot of grief.

"What burden?" someone asked weakly.

"Naruto!" Kaji practically flew across the room and knelt next to the boy's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." The boy sat up and groaned, placing a hand on his head. "What happened?"

Kaji narrowed his eyes, examining the boy closely. "You don't remember?"

"No." Naruto scrunched up his face in concentration. "We were at the festival… and then everything turned red. After that…"

Nagato and Kaji exchanged a look. The boy was clearly hiding something, but whether that was a conversation with the Kyuubi or something else entirely, it hardly mattered at this point. What Naruto needed most right now was time to come to terms with all the changes the last couple of hours had brought in his life, not to be put through an interrogation.

"You got angry and built up a great amount of chakra, but it was too much for you," Kaji said carefully. "You passed out from overloading your chakra coils."

"Oh." Naruto's face fell in a scowl. "The Hokage…" he growled.

"Father is taking care of it," the dark-haired-man said hastily; neither of the adults present wanted a repetition of the incident at the square. "By the time he's done talking to the Hokage," Kaji said, smirking, "you'll be free to leave Konoha and come live with us in Uzushio." The smirk faded. "If that's what you want, of course."

Naruto just stared unblinkingly at Kaji, completely silent. Then, he sighed. "I knew it. This really _is_ a dream."

The dark-haired man frowned and pinched Naruto's arm.

"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR, OLD MAN?"

Kaji looked entirely unrepentant. "Still think this is a dream?"

Naruto glared at him, rubbing his forearm.

"Dreams don't hurt, kid –at least, not physically. Also," the dark-haired man added as an afterthought, "I'm not old."

"You're way older than me." Naruto flashed a bright grin stretching from ear to ear; there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Old. Man."

"So that's how it's going to be," Kaji muttered. "Very well."

With a speed even the Yellow Flash would have envied, Kaji grabbed Naruto and slung him over his shoulder, ignoring the boy's strangled squawk.

"Put me down, old man!" Naruto's indignation was ruined by the way his voice was shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Nope," the dark-haired man said with ill-disguised glee. He stood up and Nagato saw the boy's eyes lighting up in pure, unadulterated joy.

A rustling sound next to him alerted him to Konan's presence. Soon, the square pieces of paper turned into the blue-haired woman; it was a rather handy trick she had perfected a while ago. She was surveying the scene in front of them with a flabbergasted expression.

"False alarm," Nagato informed her unnecessarily.

She smiled. "I can see that."

"Now then," Kaji said to Naruto, ignoring the two of them, "your punishment for disrespecting your elders is to help me pack your belongings."

"But you said it yourself," Naruto said cheekily, looking like he was having the time of his life. "You're my _elder_. So I _can_ call you old man."

The boy shrieked with laughter when Kaji shrugged, lifting and dropping his shoulder in an exaggerated motion. "'Elder' doesn't mean 'old', you little pest. Just accept your punishment!"

Konan's smile was even wider now. "I'll go back to my post and let everyone know that there's no cause for alarm."

Nagato simply nodded at her, not trusting himself to speak. If he opened his mouth now, he was certain he'd burst into guffaws. It was downright weird to see the glum, broody Kaji acting so… silly.

With a final look at the duo currently raiding the closet, the blue-haired woman dissolved into confetti again.

After a while, there was a pile of clean clothes and undergarments on top of a sheet.

"Anything else you want, little squirt?" Kaji asked the boy. Naruto was no longer fighting to break free; he had 'reluctantly' given in to his fate. "We won't be coming back here, so you'd better make sure to grab everything important."

"My flowers!" the boy shouted immediately. "Also…"

"Yes?" Kaji prompted kindly.

Naruto bit his lip. "… a few of my toys."

"Okay. Show me where they are."

 **-XOXO-**

Hiruzen examined his opponents, acutely aware that this 'talk' could turn violent at the slightest provocation. The rage in Kenjiro's eyes said that he'd rather fight all of them than talk.

In the relative safety of the Council chamber, surrounded by the heads of Konoha's most powerful clans, and having a staring contest with the three most powerful shinobi of Uzushio, the only thing the Hokage was certain of was that whatever was about to happen would make the Hyuuga incident pale in comparison.

Hiruzen remained silent; all his shinobi senses, honed by a lifetime of conflict, were screaming at him that he had somehow walked straight into a trap. He decided to be prudent and let his opponents make the first move.

He didn't have to wait long.

"I'm taking Naruto with me back to Uzushio," Kenjiro declared, leveling a cold, disdainful look at the assembled Konoha shinobi.

"Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage and the last scion of the Namikaze family," Homura said as diplomatically as possible. "Like his predecessors, his every breath protects the people of Konoha –and Uzushio, for that matter– from the Nine-Tailed Fox." Thankfully, the elder had enough sense not mention Kushina's name directly. "I'm afraid that what you're asking is not possible."

"I was not _asking_ ," Kenjiro growled.

"I was unaware that the Namikaze family held such a prominent position in Konohagakure's hierarchy," Hiro said with mock skepticism, cutting off the Uzumaki before things got out of control.

"Currently, it does not," Koharu admitted, eyeing Kenjiro warily; she too had noticed the cracks in the redhead's veneer of calm. "As Naruto is the last Namikaze and unable to defend himself against assassins, we have hidden his heritage from the populace in the hopes it would offer him a safer childhood. Unfortunately, this has led to… other problems."

"Like being considered the reincarnation of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox?" Small amounts of Killing Intent were leaking out of Kenjiro.

Every Konoha shinobi in the room tensed. This was really bad; Hiruzen had never seen his old ally so _eager_ to kill.

"He's not the demon," Koharu said vehemently. "Only a vocal minority of civilians believe such a ridiculous notion and hold Naruto in contempt. The rest of us respect him for carrying this burden and honor the boy's sacrifice."

Technically, she wasn't _lying_ per se. It _was_ a vocal minority that openly expressed their dislike towards the boy. The rest were content with silently pretending that Naruto was just a piece of the scenery.

"Is that what everyone was doing back there? _Honoring_ him?" Rei snorted. "If that's how you treat your heroes, then I'd hate to see how you treat your criminals," she muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"Don't waste your breath, Rei," Hiro said with a slightly unsettling smirk. "I doubt they think their behavior was reprehensible in any way. After all," the smirk took a sharp edge that made warning bells blare inside Hiruzen's head, "isn't that how _demons_ are supposed to be treated?"

The aging Hokage knew right then that he had lost this fight long before this meeting had even begun.

"Enough of this. I know you didn't find out so much about Naruto today." Hiruzen heard someone –or was it more than one person?– sputtering behind him. Well, it wasn't his fault that the fools didn't know when they were beaten.

"Who told you about the boy? And don't say 'Kaji' –I know he'd never be able to learn so much on his own." The Hokage's eyes narrowed. "Who helped you?"

' _Who betrayed me?_ '

Hiro's smirk faded in a carefully blank expression, revealing nothing about his thoughts. "Well reasoned, Hokage-dono. You're right; we already knew a great deal about Naruto before we came to Konoha. However, you are mistaken to believe that we had any inside help." His lips curled in disgust. "It's surprising how much people are willing to confide in someone if they think that person shares their views. Kaji-kun speaks with great distaste about the conversations he had with various citizens of Konoha."

The last part was definitely true, if Kenjiro's murderous scowl was any indication. As for the rest... There was a reason Hiro was a master of the illusionary arts.

Hiruzen decided to try a different approach. "Let's assume for a moment that I believe what you told me was the truth. What happens when you leave Konoha with Naruto?"

"That's all you have to say, Hiruzen?" Kenjiro's fury was almost palpable. "No apologies? No justifications for your actions?"

"No." No apologies –only a mountain of regrets about not being able to give Naruto a normal childhood. "I did what I had to do to protect Konoha. The boy had to stay here and you were not going to listen to reason."

The head of the Uzumaki clan ground his teeth and removed a scroll from his belt holster.

As one, the heads of Konoha's most powerful clans had fallen into their combat stances. Tsume was already using her _Shikyaku no Jutsu_ , looking as feral as her enormous canine companion. Fugaku and Hiashi had activated their respective doujutsu; the Uchiha was holding half a dozen shuriken in each hand. A buzzing sound came from Shibi's direction. The Ino-Shika-Chou trio were already in position; Shikaku's shadow was starting to move towards the Uzumaki.

Before a full-blown battle could break out, however, Rei caught the redhead's hand. "What are you doing, Kenjiro?"

"What does it _look_ like I'm doing?"

Rei's eyebrows knit together in a fierce scowl. "I thought you said you wanted to _avoid_ starting a war."

"I changed my mind."

"Then change it _back_ ," she snarled.

"Your grandson is safe, old friend," Hiro said evenly, placing a hand on Kenjiro's shoulder. "It's over. Don't do something you're going to regret."

Kenjiro took a deep breath and nodded; Rei released his hand. The other shinobi in the room visibly relaxed, since they were no longer in immediate danger, but didn't release their jutsu.

Kenjiro replaced the scroll on his belt and removed another one, much different from the first. Unfurling it on the large table, he formed a hand seal, making a massive folder and a much larger scroll appear from the storage seals written inside. He passed the two items over to the Hokage and rolled up the storage scroll, placing it back in his belt holster.

Hiruzen took the folder and pushed the scroll over to Nara Shikaku, not caring if he inadvertently insulted his advisors and the other clan heads. Right now, he needed the genius's analytical skills if he wanted to prevent the war that the enraged Kenjiro clearly wouldn't mind starting.

The first thing he saw when he opened the folder were the words: 'Agreement with Suna'. The paper was informal, more like notes that an actual treaty. How many kilograms of metal Suna had to send to Uzushio. How many seal tags they would receive in return. A promise to provide the Hidden Sand with a limited number of seal-inscribed chakra blades in the coming years, should this agreement prove fruitful for both parties. Turning a few more pages, he found an official looking document bearing both the crest of Suna and the seal of the Kazekage; they were right next to the crest of Uzushio and the seal of the Uzumaki.

The Hokage's breath caught in his throat. ' _No. It can't be_.'

"Keep reading." Rei's grin was showing far too many teeth for it to be considered even remotely friendly.

Cursing inwardly the sudden trembling of his hands, Hiruzen kept turning the pages. 'Agreement with Tani': notes and signed treaty. 'Agreement with Shimo': notes and signed treaty. 'Agreement with Kumo': notes and signed treaty.

Hiruzen looked up from the documents that spelled the death of Konoha with every word, pale as a ghost. Kenjiro was watching him with cold, merciless eyes that made Naruto's demonic red ones look kind in comparison.

"There's only one thing left to make everything official," the Head of Uzushio said in a regal tone of voice, presenting a small, official scroll to the Hokage.

"I hereby dissolve the alliance between Konohagakure and Uzushiogakure. From this point forward, all shinobi bearing the crest of the Hidden Leaf on their hitai-ate are barred from the Whirlpool; any shinobi of Konoha caught within our borders will be viewed as a spy and treated accordingly. All Uzushio shinobi presently serving under the Hokage are recalled from their posts, regardless of their current assignments. All unfinished joint projects are terminated forthwith.

"Failure on Konahogakure's part to comply with any of the aforementioned terms will be considered an act of war."

Without another word, Kenjiro turned on his heel and marched out of the Council chambers, followed closely by Hiro and Rei.

The shinobi of Konoha were standing there, petrified, long after their footsteps had faded.

"Those bastards!" Uchiha Fugaku snarled, startling the stunned crowd. "They think that we're going to allow them to just walk away from this alliance and abandon us?"

"It would appear that we have little choice," Aburame Shibi said in his usual monotone. "Why is that? Because—"

Inuzuka Tsume cut him off before he could explain what he had deduced. "We could sic the ANBU and the Military Police at them." She bared her teeth, revealing her fang-like canines in their full glory. "Or we can just attack them head-on. This is _our_ turf, after all."

"Have you gone insane?" Inoichi asked, incredulous. "You want us to attack seal masters in a place they have probably rigged with a metric ton of explosives – if we're lucky?"

"And suppose we _do_ defeat them," Koharu said, picking up the thread the Yamanaka had abandoned. " _Then_ what? Will we take them hostage? Will we kill them?"

"Such action will only lead to a war with Uzushiogakure," Shibi concurred.

"In any event, this is a moot point. We are not going to fight them inside the village's walls," Homura said harshly.

"We can't just–"

"Would you all be quiet?" The Nara's lazy drawl somehow managed to convey its owner's annoyance. "Things are troublesome enough without all of you yammering and trying to start a war we can't possibly win."

"You know something we don't, Shikaku?" Tsume asked, eyes flashing.

"By all means, enlighten us," Fugaku sneered.

"Be quiet and let him explain," Chouza growled. He and Inoichi were standing protectively around their brilliant team-mate and longtime friend.

"We can't touch the Whirlpool," Shikaku said without any preamble. Seeing the dubious looks everyone –save Hiruzen, who already knew what the Nara was going to say– was giving him, he sighed. "Take a good look at the map they gave us."

There was a moment of silence as the other clan heads studied the map of the elemental nations Shikaku had spread on the large table. The Hidden Sand in the Land of Wind, The Hidden Valley in the Land of Rivers, the Hidden Frost in the Land of Frost, the Hidden Cloud in the Land of Lightning, the Land of Tea, and the Land of Hot Waters all had a spiral next to their crest. In contrast, the spiral next to the Hidden Leaf had been crossed out.

It wasn't too hard to figure out what that meant.

"Shit," Inoichi and Fugaku said simultaneously.

"There must be something we can do," Koharu whispered. " _Anything_ …"

"There isn't." Hiruzen placed his hand on top of the massive folder. "It's all in here –in great detail, I might add. The elders of Uzushio wanted us to know that we can't lift a finger against them without jump-starting the Fourth Shinobi World War."

"Check and mate," Shikaku muttered.

 **-XOXO-**

Hyuuga Hiashi was sitting in his wife's private garden, wallowing in shame. His tea lay neglected beside him on the stone bench as he tried to pinpoint the moment he had failed his village and his clan.

This was turning out to be more difficult than he had imagined –probably because it wasn't just _one_ moment.

His first shortcoming was, without a doubt, his failure to recognize the son of the Yondaime for nearly five years.

He had first looked, _really_ looked, at the boy only a few months ago, after one of his paint bombs had landed a little too close for comfort. In hindsight, his blindness was nothing short of staggering. It had all been right there in front of him. The blond hair, the blue eyes, the facial structure, the hot-blooded personality, and even the dream of becoming Hokage… But he had never made the connection between this boy and his two deceased friends.

His second failing was his zealous protection of the Hyuuga clan's honor.

The boy was a pariah to a large part of Konoha's population. As such, the precious _honor_ of the Hyuuga could not be tainted by any association between the clan and the demon vessel. Hiashi could not speak _to_ the boy, speak _about_ the boy, or even acknowledge that the boy was in his general vicinity.

His third and by far his greatest failing, however, was his rigid adherence to tradition, which demanded that the clan came above any and all personal feelings.

It didn't matter how much Hiashi wanted to help Naruto. He could not abuse his authority as the head of one of Konoha's most powerful clans to do even a halfway decent thing for the boy. He could not pressure the civilians into accepting the boy's presence. He could not go to the Hokage and ask him to place Naruto under his care. And even if he had somehow decided to disregard tradition and approached the Hokage anyway, he would have to fight every day with the clan's elders to keep the boy as his ward.

Kami forgive him, he couldn't even protect his own brother from the clutches of the so-called 'fate' the elders had decided for both of them.

When the head of Uzumaki clan had delivered his ultimatum, Hiashi had kept quiet. There was nothing to say in Konoha's defense. The Hyuuga clan head didn't know whether Hokage was right to claim that Naruto had to remain in the Leaf or not. What he _did_ know was that the boy shouldn't have grown up an outcast.

There _must_ have been another way.

It was a novel thought for Hiashi. He had lived his entire life believing in following the unchangeable fate that had been set for him as his father's firstborn child, acting as was always expected of him. He was not accustomed to searching for alternatives to a situation.

Today, however, he had begun to seriously doubt this ironclad belief on a preordained destiny. He found it to be… eye-opening.

He had failed to see so many things; what else had he been blind to?

 **-XOXO-**

Kakashi stepped inside his one-room apartment and turned on the lights. Immediately, he froze. The barrier seal on the window had been disturbed.

His visible eye darted around the room, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Behind his hitai-ate, he opened Obito's last gift to him. While the dark cloth covering his Sharingan prevented ordinary sight, it was not enough to completely muffle the eye's ability to see chakra. In the current situation, it would have to do.

He couldn't see any chakra signatures in the room. Growing bolder, he lifted his hitai-ate, revealing the red eye with the three comma-like tomoe. Still no chakra; however, he spotted something that had definitely not been there when he had left this morning.

Standing on his desk was a small origami dog.

Focusing on the paper canine with his Sharingan, he saw that there was something written inside. An explosive tag, perhaps?

Well, there was only one way to find out.

Leaving the door open in case he needed to make a quick getaway, he walked to the window and picked up the little dog. Unfolding it, he saw that it contained a set of coordinates. If memory served, they corresponded to somewhere in the forest around Konoha; he'd have to consult a map to be sure.

Who could have left this?

Closing his door, he sat on his bed and lifted the paper to examine it against the light. Underneath the numbers, there was an almost invisible pattern. Someone had used white ink to draw a spiral on the white paper.

He knew who that 'someone' was and was seriously considering wringing his neck the next time they saw each other.

What had that idiot been thinking, leaving that thing here? The Hokage hadn't called for him yet, but it was only a matter of time until the old man started sniffing around for possible traitors. Kakashi had already spotted two Uchiha shadowing him. One of them could have found the origami dog and delivered it to the Hokage. Then, Kakashi of the Sharingan would have been handed over to Morino Ibiki and his team in T&I.

Well, if that was to be his fate, at least he would die with considerably fewer regrets.

He turned his gaze to the photograph sitting on a shelf behind his bed. The four –technically, three and a half– faces frozen in a much happier moment stared back at him.

' _He got away, sensei_.'

 **-XOXO-**

Nara Shikaku was nursing a cup of sake, trying to make a critical decision. Should he sip his drink or just down it?

He was halfway through his third –or was it fourth? – bottle of the strong drink and felt absolutely no inclination to stop. As long as the number of bottles was in the single digits, it was not nearly enough to help him deal with the world.

Today had been a disaster of monumental proportions –and that was putting it mildly. In his current state of intoxication, he didn't want to think of any impressive analogies to describe this screw-up. He didn't want to think _at all_ , but that was just not possible.

And all this over a little boy.

Shikaku was not just a genius, he was also observant. He'd known who Naruto's parents were since he'd first seen the boy, which was why when he'd gone to the Hokage to ask for explanations, he hadn't made a fuss. He knew that Minato had made a number of vicious enemies during his life, enemies who wouldn't hesitate to kill his son. He had accepted –after copious amounts of grumbling– that it would be in Naruto's best interest to remain anonymous. He hadn't pushed to adopt the boy into his family. He had been a good little soldier and did as was told.

Yet every time he looked at the boy, he would think 'this could have been Shikamaru'. It could have been his own son on the receiving end of so much hatred. But he had kept his mouth shut. It was all for the good of the Leaf; genius or no, who was _he_ to question the Hokage and his advisors?

In retrospect, he should have shouted Naruto's identity from the top of the Hokage Monument years ago. He would rather take on Iwa assassination squads daily than deal with the fallout of Uzushio breaking away from Konoha. Hell, he'd take the freaking _Kyuubi_ over this snafu any day. Gladly. With a smile on his face.

Ugh. Maybe this was all a nightmare, a horrible dreamscape phantasm he could escape by waking up.

Or maybe his salvation was at the bottom of the next bottle.

Yoshino, his beloved, nagging wife, walked inside the room as he was contemplating the merits of abandoning the cup in favor of drinking straight from the bottle. She took one look at him and scowled.

"I heard what happened today."

"I imagine everyone's heard by now about Konoha's downfall." He gave her a mirthless laugh because it felt more dignified than blubbering. "I don't know how long they'd been planning this, but they really backed us into a corner."

He took a swig of sake, emptying his cup. He refilled it and poured one for Yoshino as well. She sat across the table, holding the cup but not drinking; she seemed to be waiting for something.

"It's all fallen apart. Well, not _yet_ ," Shikaku corrected himself, "but it will soon enough.

"They were _kind_ enough to show us the agreements with the other villages, you know." Another swig of sake, another refill. "They have Suna, Kumo, Tani, and Shimo backing them, along with the daimyo of the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Tea. They've pretty much formed a defensive line, ensuring that if we try to make a move against them, we'll leave our flank wide open to retaliation from their new allies."

In some regrettably still sober corner of his mind, he admired the strategical brilliance of their former allies. 'Enemies _now, I guess._ '

Yoshino drew her brows together, equal parts confused and annoyed. "How can you be so certain, Shikaku? Suna and Kumo aren't known for dancing to anyone's tune."

"Oh, they'll dance alright." Swig, refill. "How can they not, when they've been tempted by the possibility of getting their hands on seal-inscribed chakra blades?"

Yoshino drew a sharp breath; her eyes widened as she connected the dots, figuring out what her husband had left unsaid. "They offered the same terms to all these villages, didn't they?"

Shikaku chuckled; his wife was a very clever woman. "Not the same, but close enough. It really is troublesome."

Yoshino bit her lip. "How long can we hold out on our own?"

"I don't know." He took another swig of sake; Yoshino joined him.

 **-XOXO-**

The building didn't look like much to Naruto. It was completely unimpressive, just two stories tall and a little run-down. He didn't understand why his grandfather had called this the most important temple in the Land of Fire.

Maybe it had something to do with all the masks that were hanging on the walls.

"Good, they're all here. Kaji, I want you to organize everyone; gather up the masks and the tomes from the library. Make sure you don't leave anything behind."

"Yes, Father." His uncle turned around and started giving orders to the other shinobi. Some began taking down the masks, while others used the small staircase to go to the basement.

"This way, Naruto." His grandfather touched his shoulder lightly and guided the boy to a corner of the large room. "We should get out of their way to let them work unhindered."

It was strange to suddenly have a grandfather and an uncle. Still, the blond couldn't say it was unpleasant. So far, having a family was turning out to be a good thing.

"Why are we here, jii-chan?" Naruto asked after they sat down.

"We're here to take back the masks."

The boy had already figured _that_ out on his own. "Why?"

"This is the Uzumaki clan's Mask Storage Temple, Naruto. When the alliance between Konoha and Uzushio was formalized decades ago, this temple was built in the Land of Fire to strengthen the bond between the two villages. However, seeing as recent developments have rendered the temple's continued existence unnecessary, we're taking everything back."

"Oh." There was a brief pause as Naruto considered asking about these 'developments', but the boy decided they were not more important than this mystery. "But what _are_ these masks?"

"These" the red-haired old man waved his hand around, pointing to the masks all around them, "are priceless artifacts called the 'Masks of the Youkai'. Each of them is marked with a unique combination of seals, giving it the properties of one of the spirits."

The boy's eyes went wide. "That's _so cool_! So anyone who wears one of them gets the powers of a youkai?"

"Not quite," Kenjiro chuckled. "It's… a really complex subject and you probably won't understand a word of explanation until you've learned enough about seals."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest –loudly– that he could understand anything the old man was going to say, before something else drew his attention. The shinobi had rolled many scrolls marked with those strange drawings on the floor and were placing the masks on top of them. That wasn't new to Naruto; his uncle had done the same thing to pack the boy's stuff for the trip. But there were so few shinobi here; Naruto was sure he'd seen dozens of people walking with them to this place.

"Why are only the ninja with the red spiral here? What happened to the others?"

"Ah, so you noticed that," Kenjiro said, sounding very pleased for some reason. "Only members of the Uzumaki clan can get inside this temple; all others are barred from entering by the protective wards placed around the building. Did you also notice what everyone did before entering?"

Naruto nodded. "They touched that weird disc near the door. It glowed for a moment and then they walked in."

It had been one of the coolest things the boy had ever seen.

"Very good, Naruto," his grandfather said with a smile. "The 'disc', as you called it, is programmed to recognize the subtle variations of chakra unique to the Uzumaki. In short, it's keyed to our bloodline; only Uzumaki and our blood-relatives can enter this temple."

"But I didn't touch the disc," Naruto pointed out.

"No, you didn't." The old man looked at him expectantly.

The blond boy tried to remember what had happened when he'd entered the temple. ' _I was looking at the masks, trying to figure out what they are, then jii-chan touched my shoulder and… That's it!_ '

"You were holding my shoulder when I passed through the door!" Naruto said with a bright grin.

"You're half-right," Kenjiro said with the brightest smile the boy had ever seen on the old man's face. "I had been holding your shoulder since I primed the blood seal –since I touched the disc," he corrected himself, noticing Naruto's confusion. "We passed through the door together, so the wards registered us as one person."

"But why couldn't I..." How had his grandfather said it? Oh, right! "'Prime' the seal thing on my own?"

"I'm afraid that's not something you can do yet. You'll first need to learn how to properly build up and channel your chakra."

"Build up and channel…" the blond mumbled. "You mean I'm really going to become a ninja?"

"If that's what you want, then certainly," the old man replied.

"AWESOME!"

"I take it you have a particular goal you want to reach?"

"You bet! I'm going to become Ho–" Naruto snapped his mouth shut when he realized what he was about to say. He clenched his fists and turned his head to the side, glowering at the wall. Why would he want to become Hokage anymore? So he could one day become like the old man and hurt little kids like him? Who would ever want to be like that?

"You know," his grandfather began, acting as if he hadn't noticed the boy's anger, "aspiring to be like the Hokage is not such a terrible thing. Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage, united the Senju and Uchiha clans and brought about a new era of peace in the shinobi world. Your father, the Fourth Hokage, also strove to achieve peace, even though he spent most of his life fighting in wars."

Naruto unclenched his hands and looked at them; he didn't know a thing about his father aside from the man's name and title. Who was Namikaze Minato, other than a face on a stone monument? Would he have cared for his son? And what about his mom? What was she like? "Can you tell me about them?" he whispered hesitantly. "My parents?"

The old man's face softened. "Of course. What do you want to know, Naruto?"

"What were they like?" he blurted out before he had time to think. "Kaji-occhan, um... Uncle Kaji… told me a bit about my dad –although I didn't know who he was back then and thought he was just talking about the Yondaime and—"

Kenjiro stopped his nervous babbling by patting his head. "Then we'll simply have to start over and make sure you learn everything there is to know about Kushina and Minato. Now, where to begin…" He clasped his hands and placed them on his lap. "Do you want to know how the two of them met?"

Naruto nodded eagerly. "Yes!"

The old man gave him a warm smile. "Alright. It was more than twenty years ago. Kushina had been sent to Konoha to carry on the legacy of Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the First Hokage –I'll tell you about her another time," he added quickly when Naruto opened his mouth to ask. "She enrolled in the Academy, wanting to train as a kunoichi. There, she met a boy—"

"My dad?" Naruto was bouncing on the floor now, unable to contain his excitement.

"Yes, your father, Minato." He gave the blond boy a crooked grin. "Kushina wasn't too impressed with him at first, though…"

Naruto listened to his grandfather without interrupting him for questions, a rare thing for him. He was completely drawn into the old man's story about the hot-tempered, loud-mouthed girl with the fiery red hair and the quiet blond boy who admired her for her strength and determination. His mom and dad.

Not wanting to miss a single word, Naruto scooted closer to his grandfather.

 **-XOXO** -

The sound of raucous laughter could be heard all across the Hidden Cloud.

While merriment had not been outlawed in the village built high in the mountains and hidden by clouds, far from it, the source of the guffaws was certainly out of the ordinary.

Yondaime Raikage Ay was laughing his ass off.

That would be troubling in and of itself, even if the man in question wasn't looking like he'd have a heart attack from laughing so hard. Several shinobi of Kumogakure were beginning to suspect that their leader had been replaced by an impostor. The Raikage's personal assistants had refrained from calling for the medical corps and the ANBU only because they'd seen the cause of their leader's euphoria.

The small, unremarkable scroll containing the report from one of Kumo's spies in Konoha had been delivered by a messenger bird earlier that day. The Raikage had skimmed through it at first, before re-reading it with a puzzled frown on his face. Then _,_ he'd read it a _third_ time and burst into laughter.

The scroll was still on the Raikage's desk; one glance at it was enough to send him back into a fit.

"That sneaky bastard," Ay said when he calmed down enough to breathe properly. "So that's why they were suddenly so eager to work with us."

Dodai, the one-eyed man who had served as an elite instructor during the Third Raikage's tenure, was worried –and not just for his boss's mental health. "Should we revoke the agreement with Uzushio, Raikage-sama?"

"No," the Raikage said firmly. "I know they're playing us against Konoha, but I don't care what their motives are. As long as they're willing to keep their end of the bargain, then so will we.

"Though I wish I could have seen Sarutobi's face when the Uzumaki broke the news to him," he added with another hearty chortle.

Dodai shared that sentiment, although he believed that the Tsuchikage's face would be even more priceless. He wondered which piece of information would drive old Ohnoki the Fence-Sitter over the edge. Would it be the fact that the Yellow Flash, Iwa's nemesis even from beyond the grave, had a son? That the aforementioned boy was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi? Or that the Uzumaki, the clan Iwa had failed to exterminate decades ago, had taken the boy in their custody?

The one-eyed man with the puffy hat couldn't help it; he laughed.

 **-XOXO-**

"So, Konoha messed up."

Tobi was aware that his assessment underplayed the effects of Uzushio's secession from Konoha to an almost obscene degree, but he couldn't bring himself to care about such trivialities.

"It appears so," a half-white, half-black plant man called Zetsu said as he melted from the ground. His appearance was unnerving; he looked like an unholy cross between Go pieces and aloe. "The Uzumaki have already removed all the masks from the old temple in the Land of Fire."

"I see." A pity he couldn't get his hands on one such mask earlier. The wards protecting the temple had been formidable; not even his _Kamui_ could get Tobi inside the Noh Mask Hall.

"It looks like the Kyuubi will be living in Uzushio now," the white half of the plant man said.

 **"The defenses around the island are tighter than Konoha's. This could be trouble when we need to capture him,"** Zetsu's black half added.

"It doesn't matter. Eventually, he'll have to leave the safety of the island. We'll grab him then." Tobi was willing to wait a little longer; after all, once his plan was completed, time would cease to be important.

 **"What about Nagato?"** Black Zetsu asked. **"We need his Rinnegan in order to summon the _Gedo Mazou_ and complete project Tsuki no Me."**

Nagato, the little thief who had taken the Rinnegan and hidden behind the safety of Uzushio's borders. Tobi would like nothing better than to gut the bastard and rip out his eyes. Well, the last part was the whole reason he wanted to capture the redhead in the first place, but it would still feel damn _good_.

"We could grab him now," White Zetsu suggested. "He's outside Uzushio."

"No. There are too many Uzumaki surrounding him." It was unwise to go up against so many shinobi with the ability to chain someone down and seal away their chakra. Not even someone as elusive as Tobi could escape from this. "There will be other opportunities.

"For now, we gather our strength and wait."

 **-XOXO-**

In an establishment of ill repute, a middle-aged man with a shaggy mane of white hair was reading a report written by one of his informants in Konoha and delivered to him by a messenger frog. He put the scroll down, frowning.

The report only confirmed the news that had been flying around lately.

When his sensei had told him about the plan to keep Naruto in Konoha, he had immediately dismissed it as a harebrained idea. He knew that the Uzumaki would find out about the boy sooner or later and raise all kinds of hell. As it turned out, it was much sooner than anyone had expected. Still…

Things just didn't add up.

The Uzumaki throwing a fit and taking Naruto with them to the Whirlpool was expected. No matter how well the boy had been living in Konoha, they wouldn't have been willing to leave him there under the care of the Hokage.

No, the problem was in _how_ they had taken back the boy.

Shattering an alliance as old and prosperous as that between the Leaf and the Whirlpool was, in a word, preposterous. Regardless of how slighted the Uzumaki were feeling or how hurt their pride was that the child of their clan head's daughter was being trained as a shinobi of another nation, they could not arbitrarily force the breaking of an alliance. Yet not only had such an inconceivable thing come to pass, it had the blessing of all four of Uzushio's great clans.

The clans of Uzushio were not overly antagonistic towards each other. They acknowledged the Uzumaki as their leaders and were content to follow them, but that didn't mean that there was no friction among them for various reasons, both petty and major. Even though they got along with each other much better than most of Konoha's clans had even done, the Akashio, Takashio, and Nagare would object vociferously to something that would hurt their interests. In fact, the Sandaime and his advisors had been counting on the other three clans to keep the Uzumaki in check until they found a way to smooth things over with the hot-heads.

What could possibly have happened to unite the four to such a degree?

Were they after the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox?

Jiraiya sighed and shook his head; speculating was pointless. He needed more information, and there was only one place he could get it. He started packing his bags; it was time to return to Konoha. He'd probably be receiving a summons back any day now.

After all, someone had to run damage control and fix this mess.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Adamantine Chakra Chains for Naruto: Yes, Naruto is going to have them. That had been the plan from the very first draft of this story; the only thing that troubled me was whether to make them a Hiden (secret jutsu known only to a certain clan) or a kekkei genkai.

In canon, the Adamantine Chakra Chains seem to be a secret technique that was lost after Uzushio was destroyed. I hope you don't mind me turning them into a bloodline limit.

 **-X-**

Defensive line:  In Narutopedia, search 'geography' to find the map of the elemental nations. You'll see right away what I mean when I say that Uzushio created a passive-aggressive defensive line.

1\. To put things in perspective: Kumo and Shimo are north of Konoha, Suna and Tani are southwest, and Uzushio is east. If Konoha moves against one of these targets, then they'll open a war on three fronts. Nobody can win that –just look at what happened to Ame during the Second Shinobi World War.

2\. The other villages: Taki and Kusa are located between Iwa and Kumo, so they won't risk getting caught in the crossfire; ditto with Ishi, who's between Iwa and Suna. Ame is firmly under the control of Hanzo, who is not willing to work with outsiders. The shinobi of Iwa would rather collectively commit seppuku than work with Konoha. Kiri is having internal conflict, though they're keeping it under wraps for now. And the others are too minor, able to offer only a handful of shinobi.

 **-X-**

Additional Notes:

1\. Itachi's POV: I call it 'karma' and it's a cold-hearted bitch. Any other ANBU guard –save Kakashi– would have grabbed Naruto and ran the moment he saw an Uzushio hitai-ate.

2\. Why 'Head of Uzushio' and not 'Uzukage': Because only the Sand, Stone, Leaf, Cloud, and Mist have the right to name their leader a 'Kage'. I know, it sucks, but that's how things are. Not even Hanzo of the Salamander took the title of Kage, and he was pretty much a legend.

3\. Youkai: (妖怪, _ghost_ , _phantom_ , _strange apparition_ ) are a class of supernatural monsters and spirits in Japanese folklore. They range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them. They usually have a spiritual supernatural power, with shapeshifting being one of the most common. Kitsune (foxes), tanuki (raccoon dogs), bakeneko (cats), oni (demon-like beings), and tengu (bird-like beings) are only some of the many kinds of youkai.

4\. Go: (literally: 'encircling game') It's a board game involving two players that originated in ancient China more than 2,500 years ago. The two players alternately place black and white playing pieces, called 'stones', on the vacant intersections ('points') of a board with a 19x19 grid of lines. It's similar to Reversi (or Othello, as it's commonly known), only on a much larger board.

5\. Tobi hesitating to grab Nagato: Not even _Kamui_ can save someone who's pinned down and has his chakra suppressed (either by seals or by the sealing chains). Yes, the un-killable villain has a weakness.

 **-X-**

Answers to Reviewers:

Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan: They are all S-class ninja. You know Konan's power; if she has time to prepare, her enemies are screwed. Yahiko is just as –if not more– powerful, but more straightforward: kenjutsu and ninjutsu. Nagato is completely broken: Rinnegan plus five elements plus sensory abilities minus canon Nagato's mobility handicap. Does Nagato have any weaknesses? Yes, he does. The Hyuuga Incident: Yes, it happened (and so did Kushina's kidnapping). How will this affect the relationship between Naruto and Hinata? Let's just say that when they'll meet again as genin, neither of them will be thrilled –at first– to find they're starting to like each other. (They'll come around.) Uzumaki Honoka: She will show up at some point. Since Uzushio was never destroyed, the Uzumaki were never scattered across the world (Nagato's mother left voluntarily in order to live with her husband).

 **-X-**

Why is this fic different from any other Konoha bashing fic: Because it's not a Konoha bashing fic. As I said in the Prologue, I hate it when things are black and white, 'my way or no way', 'with me or my enemy', etc.…

From the Uzushio characters' POV (especially those associated with the Uzumaki), the people of Konoha will be the bad guys. But from the Konoha characters' POV, the people of Uzushio will be the irredeemable ones. It's exactly like how the Yellow Flash is a great hero in the Leaf, but a mass murderer in the Stone.

Thank you for the excellent question, by the way; it never even occurred to me.

* * *

If you feel like it, check my new story: 'The Masked Demon'.

* * *

Thank you for reading. Please, review and share your thoughts.

* * *

Edit: 13 March 2016 - Fixed some spelling mistakes.


	5. Chapter Four: Home

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Home**

Naruto yelped and jumped away from the railing when he felt someone trying to place something on his shoulders. Turning around, he saw that it was just Konan holding a blanket.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," the young woman said, holding out the blue woolen cloth. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I just thought you might be cold out here."

The boy accepted the blanket and wrapped it around himself, grateful for the warmth. "Is it always so cold at sea, Konan-oba-chan?"

"It is during winter." She moved closer and rested her elbows on the ship's railing. "Thankfully, the weather is good today; rain would have made the trip very miserable for everyone."

Naruto looked to the front again, trying to see something other than the endless blue. "When will we get to Uzushio?"

"In a few hours."

Naruto nodded, not taking his eyes away from the horizon. On the one hand, he was eager to see the place his grandfather and uncle had told him so much about ever since they'd left Konoha. On the other hand, however, he was terrified of what he would find there. What if the strange voice was right?

"Everything is going to be alright," Konan said gently. "There's nothing to worry about, Naruto."

"I'm not worried." Unconsciously, the well-honed reflex kicked in; he smiled his biggest, goofiest grin at her. "I'm just tired of waiting to see Uzushio. It sounds like an awesome place!"

"It is," the young woman assured him, although she didn't appear to be convinced by his show of cheerfulness.

They both went back to silently watching the horizon.

 **-XOXO-**

For such a supposedly amazing place, Uzushio certainly didn't look all that extraordinary to Naruto. In fact, it seemed to be just like any other village.

The only things different from Konoha were the sea and the lack of a stone monument carved on a cliff.

Uzushio was built near the shoreline and expanded deep into the mainland. Most of the buildings were painted off-white, appearing pale yellow in the sunlight, and had many wide windows, but they weren't as tall as Konoha's and stood further apart from each other. A small river was running through the village, splitting it in two. As the ship passed near its estuary, Naruto saw that it was spanned by many bridges, connecting the two sides of the village.

The ship tied in the part of Uzushio built near the sea, which Kaji told Naruto was called the Harbor. There was an old man with white hair waiting for them on the pier; about a dozen shinobi were standing behind him.

"Welcome back," the old man greeted them after they disembarked, bowing his head politely to everyone present. "How was the Rinne Festival in Konoha?"

"It was exquisite," Rei, the old lady with the long brown hair, answered with what Naruto would call a 'pranking grin'. Many of the shinobi following them, including his uncle, flashed similar smiles. "Shame we couldn't stay, though..."

"Don't worry," the old man chuckled, "your presence, although brief, made quite the impact. Kumo and Suna both had spies in Konoha; they got the news a few hours after you gave the Hokage our ultimatum. By now, I imagine that the news will have reached Iwa and Kiri as well. The son of the Yellow Flash and grandchild of the Uzumaki clan head returns to his home at last after years of being presumed dead."

The old man turned to Naruto. "It is a great pleasure to meet you in person, Naruto-kun. My name is Nagare Shin. I apologize for not personally escorting you here, but someone had to stay behind to make sure everything was running smoothly in Uzushio. As I am not a shinobi, this duty often falls to me."

Naruto blinked, stunned. Even after three days, he still couldn't help feeling a little lost when someone talked to him so politely.

Felling his uncle nudging his side softly, he remembered he had to answer the old man. "Pleasure to meet you too, Shin-jii-chan!"

"Don't look so scandalized, Shin," Rei said, laughing at the expression on the white-haired old man's face. "The kid means well. Judging by what I saw in Konoha, I don't think anyone there taught him any manners –or anything whatsoever, for that matter."

Old man Shin stood there gaping, moving his mouth but not making any sound. Then, he turned to look at Kaji. "I thought you had been exaggerating, Kaji-kun."

"He wasn't," Naruto's grandfather mumbled under his breath.

"You said that news about Naruto has circulated across the elemental nations?" Hiro, the old man with the graying black hair, asked suddenly.

"Ah," Shin closed his mouth and cleared his throat, "yes. It has spread with astonishing speed. I have all the reports in my office."

"Excellent," Kenjiro said. "Let's convene in two hours; I would like to show my grandson his new home first." He turned to the shinobi that had been on the ships with them. "I want to congratulate all of you for the successful completion of this mission and, on a personal note, to thank you for helping me reunite my family.

"But I won't keep you here with any long, boring speeches. I know that you're all eager to return to your homes. Everyone is dismissed."

The shinobi bowed and broke ranks. Some jumped to the rooftops and took off in different directions, while others followed the street that, Naruto guessed, led to the center of the village. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, however, stayed behind, along with the elders and some of the guards.

His uncle touched his shoulder lightly. "Come on, Naruto. Time to show you our home." The young man bowed his head to the three elders. "Rei-sama, Hiro-sama, Shin-sama."

Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan mimicked the dark-haired man's action.

"I'll see you later in my office," Kenjiro said to the three elders.

"Take your time, Kenjiro," Hiro replied; Rei and Shin nodded their heads in agreement.

After the small group comprised of five ninja and a small boy had put some distance between them and the three elders, Rei's voice reached Naruto.

"You can thank Hiro for taking your foot out of your mouth," the brown-haired woman said quietly.

' _...Foot out of... What...?_ '

Naruto frowned in confusion, before shrugging and deciding to not bother with it anymore. He really couldn't understand some of the things grown-ups said. Besides, there were much more important things for him to focus on.

Home. He wondered what that would be like.

 **-XOXO-**

Kenjiro watched his son and grandson unpacking the boy's belongings with a smile on his face. The sound of laughter filled his daughter's childhood bedroom as Kaji lifted Naruto and placed him on top of a chair.

"There," the young man said. "Now I won't have to worry about tripping over you when I'm trying to move something."

The old man's smile widened. It had been so long since he'd heard his son laugh like that –almost seven years now. Kaji, who had idolized his siblings, had taken Kenshin and Kaito's deaths even harder than he had. Kushina and Minato's passing had only made him close himself off even more.

"You're going to ruin my flowers, 'ttebayo!" Naruto jumped off the chair and went back to 'helping' his uncle. The blond boy carefully placed the two flower pots on the windowsill, where the iris and the orange lily could bask in the sunlight.

Even though Naruto looked remarkably like Minato, Kenjiro could see his daughter in the child's face and in his mannerisms. The boy was curious about everything and always asked questions, managing to jump from one topic to the next with a speed that would have baffled most people. Kenjiro, however, was used to hyperactive children that were unable to sit still for long; he'd had four of them. And the first time he had heard the boy say 'dattebayo', he had nearly choked on his tea; so had his son, but only because of how hard he was laughing at the old man's reaction.

Although his daughter had never cared much for something as dull as botany; Kushina liked flowers, but she didn't want to spend hours tending a garden. Minato had been the introspective one.

But for all of Naruto's seeming good cheer and talkative nature, it was his silence that spoke volumes about what his life had been like.

Kenjiro may have known his grandson for only a few days, but he could tell that 'timid' wasn't really in Naruto's character. Nevertheless, when someone spoke to him, Naruto just stared at them before answering timidly. When Yahiko had offered to play a few games with the blond boy on the ship to Uzushio in order to pass the time, Naruto had almost teared up before admitting that he didn't know any games. The orange-haired man had proclaimed that this was unacceptable and had taught the boy how to play snap. The five-year-old had proceeded to clean out the jounin, much to everyone's surprise – and amusement.

The old man looked again at the two specks of color brightening up the almost bare room. The little purple-blue iris stood for loyalty and good news, while the vibrant orange lily stood for hatred and revenge.

' _Loyalty and hatred; how appropriate_.' He wondered if his grandson had known what these flowers meant when he had decided to keep them in his apartment.

Kaji had told him about what Naruto's life was like in Konoha, but Kenjiro was beginning to suspect that his son had deliberately withheld the worst parts of it to spare him additional pain. He needn't have bothered; Kenjiro already blamed himself for everything. If only he had been more vigilant back then…

No, it was no use dwelling on the past; what was done was done. It was time to look to the future. Naruto was with them now; that was all that mattered. Kenjiro would do everything in his power to make sure that the boy would have a home here.

Besides, one day he would have his revenge. The tide always turned. One day, Sarutobi would pay for taking five years away from him, his son, and his grandson.

 **-XOXO-**

"Hatake Kakashi, did you reveal to Uzumaki Kaji classified information regarding Namikaze Naruto?"

Kakashi had to bite his tongue to keep himself from yelling at the geezers the first thing that came to his mind.

The _second_ thing on his mind wasn't all that complimentary, either. "'Namikaze'? It had to come to this for you to recognize him as the son of the Fourth Hokage?"

"Watch your tone, Kakashi!" Koharu warned tersely. "This is not the time for you to indulge in insubordination."

Kakashi pressed his lips together and willed himself to stay silent. As much as he wanted to unleash five years' worth of pent-up rage, he had to keep a cool head right now if he wanted to get out of this alive.

"Did you or did you not reveal classified information about Namikaze Naruto to Uzumaki Kaji?" Homura repeated through clenched teeth.

The silver-haired man folded his arms behind his back and tried to adopt a nonchalant pose. "No, sir, I did not."

"Did you reveal to him any classified information about the Kyuubi incident?"

"No, sir."

"Did you engage him in conversation at any time during his stay in Konoha?"

"Yes, sir."

"When?" Homura asked curtly.

"The night he encountered Naruto at the restaurant of Ichiraku Teuchi."

"What did the two of you talk about?"

"He was curious about Naruto, whom he had correctly identified as the vessel of the Kyuubi. I declined to answer his questions and redirected him to Hokage-sama, instead."

"Yes, I remember," the aging Hokage said sourly; Kakashi found it difficult to suppress a smirk.

"Was that all you talked about?" Homura continued with the interrogation as if the interruption hadn't taken place.

"No, sir. He was also angered by the way the citizens of Konoha behaved towards Naruto. He said that jinchuuriki or no, no child should be treated like that." Kakashi sighed inwardly; so much for keeping a cool head.

At least the old geezers had the grace to wince at the young man's words.

"Did he inquire about the identities of Naruto's parents?"

"No, sir."

"Did he state or even imply at any time during your conversation that he was aware of their identities?"

"No, sir."

"Where were you that night between four fifteen a.m., when your guard shift ended, and six a.m., when you had to deliver your report to the Hokage?" Shimura Danzou asked.

' _Shit._ ' The one-eyed old man hadn't said a word until now, so Kakashi was beginning to hope that he'd been too busy reorganizing security to take an active interest in the investigations. He really should have known better.

"I was running a personal errant, sir."

"Perhaps it would interest you to know, Kakashi," the crippled old man said with the hint of a smirk, "that, according to several witnesses, Uzumaki Kaji had barrier seals placed in his hotel room at all times. Therefore, no-one can confirm his whereabouts during that time frame."

Kakashi was well aware that he was treading on extremely thin ice right now. His previous statements could be proven false by only one man, who was currently hundreds of kilometers away from the Leaf and wouldn't contradict him even if he _were_ here. This, however, was entirely different; someone might have noticed that he hadn't returned to his small apartment that night.

"I was at the Memorial Stone, paying my respects to the fallen." The closer he kept things to the truth, the less likely it would be for the old war-hawk to catch him lying.

"Are there any witnesses to confirm this, Kakashi?"

"None that I'm aware of, sir." He'd made sure of that.

"What made you go there at that late hour?" The Hokage asked.

Lying was pointless now; after all, Kakashi had done a poor job of hiding his true feelings on the subject of Naruto all these years. "After seeing Kaji-san, I was… conflicted, Hokage-sama. I needed some time to think."

"And what did you decide, Kakashi?"

"I decided to do my duty, Hokage-sama."

Danzou narrowed his sole remaining eye. "What constitutes as your 'duty'?"

Dammit. He should have known that a lie of omission wouldn't work on Danzou; the man could smell deception better than a bloodhound.

The silver-haired man tightened his grip, feeling his fingernails biting into his flesh. "My duty is to protect the Hidden Leaf."

' _…and to uphold the Will of Fire_.' He didn't dare say the last part out loud, though.

"We have no further questions for you, Kakashi," the Hokage said after exchanging a few looks with his advisors. "You're dismissed."

Kakashi bowed stiffly to the Hokage and the three elders and exited the interrogation room. Once he was out of their sight, he allowed his spine to relax a little. He wasn't the only suspect –he wasn't even the most likely one! Rumors flying around the ANBU headquarters said that Uchiha Mikoto had been placed under house arrest pending the investigation.

As the silver-haired man walked out of the Hokage Tower, he wondered what he would do if the council condemned the Uchiha matriarch for revealing Naruto's existence to the Uzumaki.

' _I know what I have to do if that happens._ '

He traced the leaf on his hitai-ate with his fingertips. He had been wearing the symbol of his home village for more than a decade, even though he hadn't always been proud of it. He didn't know if he could leave it behind, along with all the memories it carried – the promises he had made, the friends who counted on him, the guilt over his failures.

It would feel strange to suddenly have a spiral etched there.

 _'I hope it won't come to that_.'

 **-XOXO-**

"Another dead end," Koharu sighed.

Danzou stared at the place the Hatake boy had just vacated. There was no doubt in his mind that Kakashi was guilty.

Unfortunately, this wasn't a recent development.

Kakashi, along with Uchiha Mikoto, had been entirely unreasonable when it came to the welfare of Konoha. They were by far the most vocal detractors of Danzou's plans for Naruto, which was why he had made sure that neither of them could contact the Uzumaki. Fugaku had been keeping an eye on Mikoto ever since she had attempted to send a letter to Kushina's family five years ago, and Kakashi's every move was monitored by his fellow ANBU.

"He had an opportunity," Homura pointed out. "He could have told Kaji everything when they talked outside Naruto's apartment."

"No, he couldn't have," Danzou countered. He wanted to find the real traitor, not just pin the blame on someone in order to close the investigation. "A shinobi as experienced as Hatake Kakashi would never expose himself by having such a sensitive conversation with someone in the middle of a street."

"I agree," Koharu said, nodding.

"What about the two hours he spent unsupervised in front of the Memorial Stone?"

"There is no evidence suggesting that Uzumaki Kaji met him there that night." Danzou had checked – thoroughly.

The bespectacled elder narrowed his eyes. "I thought you said that Kaji's whereabouts couldn't be confirmed."

"The receptionist working the night shift had taken a liking to the Uzumaki prince," Danzou said with a faint smirk; sometimes, emotions like that could be extremely useful. "She would always find excuses to hover around his room."

The Uzumaki boy, however, had shown decorum and had never indulged any of the young women fawning over him. Unfortunately. It was always advantageous to have information of a more personal nature on the son of another village's Head.

Homura rubbed his temples. "Where is Jiraiya? Shouldn't we have heard from him by now?"

"I sent him a message right after the incident," Hiruzen informed them. "I don't know when it will reach him, but he should be on his way back any day now."

"Or he might be on his way to Uzushio," Koharu snapped. "You have too much faith in him, Hiruzen. He had more reasons than any of the others to reveal the truth to the Uzumaki."

Considering that the man was both the Yondaime's mentor and Naruto's godfather, everyone's suspicions naturally fell on him.

Kakashi and Mikoto's actions had been monitored closely for years. Itachi was too young to remember the Fourth and his wife, so he too was mostly cleared of suspicions; the four elders were still considering the possibility that his mother had asked for his help. Shikaku and Hiashi were both the heads of prominent clans; while they could have contacted the Uzumaki in a way that wouldn't incriminate them, neither would betray the Leaf and his clan lightly.

The Toad Sage, however, had been away from Konoha for almost five years, sending only the occasional letter back to inform the Hokage about any intelligence he uncovered on their enemies.

Danzou shut out the discussion the other three were having about Jiraiya's supposed guilt and focused on the six folders on the desk in front of him. He didn't need to consult them anymore; he had read them so many times that he had memorized every piece of information written in them. Nevertheless, he found that the sight of them helped him organize his thoughts.

Six shinobi, each with both a reason to help Naruto reunite with his family and the means to accomplish this.

A small part of him was displeased with the number of suspects. Even though it made his job considerably easier, it was... distressing to see that so few people cared about a young boy. Danzou was perhaps the most hated man in Konoha, a reputation he had spent his entire life cultivating, and yet hundreds would be concerned if anything happened to him, if only because of the temporary chaos the void in the seat of power would create.

The man known as the Darkness of Shinobi looked at the folders one last time before gathering them and placing them on one of the desk's corners. His task was futile. Unless he obtained more information, he might as well write numbers on the folders and throw dice to determine which of the six were guilty and which weren't.

If he could, he would have just thrown all of them in prison and assigned the Torture and Interrogation department to get the truth out of them. As it were, however, accusing without proof six shinobi who held prominent positions in the Leaf would be equal to treason. For now, their continued existence was necessary for Konoha's survival.

The six suspected traitors would be placed under strict surveillance. Eventually, someone would slip up and reveal the truth.

When that happened, Danzou would be waiting.

 **-XOXO-**

The bright –much too bright– light of the sun hit Naruto's eyes, making the boy groan. He raised his blanket higher to cover his eyes and buried his head in his pillow.

Mornings were evil.

It took a few minutes for his sleepy mind to realize that the blanket covering him was softer and warmer than his own. It took a few more minutes for him to remember why: this wasn't his home.

He was in Uzushio, in his grandfather's house, sleeping in his mother's old room.

He opened his eyes, squinting at the light coming in from the two windows, and looked around. The room was larger than his entire apartment and almost completely empty. The only furniture inside it were the bed, the wardrobe, a desk, and an empty bookcase. The walls were also bare, save for a few drawings of weapons and two strange hooks. ' _Uncle said that mom had a sword, too_.' Maybe one day he could get one of his own. After all, his grandfather had told him that he could decorate the room any way he liked.

Naruto grinned and hopped off the bed.

After washing his teeth and changing out of his pajamas, the blond boy headed downstairs, trying to remember where the kitchen was. This house had so many rooms that Naruto was a bit worried he was going to get lost in here. ' _Later, I'm going to explore_ all _of them_.'

He had only taken a few steps inside the spacious kitchen when he saw someone standing in front of the stove, cooking what looked like breakfast. The woman had her back turned to him, but he recognized her from her dark brown hair tied in a knot on the top of her head.

Naruto grinned mischievously and approached her as quietly as he could, walking on his tip-toes.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that, Naruto-chan," she chided him lightly without turning around.

Naruto's grin fell. "How did you know it was me, Kaede-obaa-chan?"

The old woman laughed softly. "I've been working in a house of prank-loving ninja for more than twenty years, Naruto-chan. You're not the first to try that little trick on me. Would you like some eggs?"

"Uh-huh!" Naruto nodded eagerly and took a seat on the table. "Can I have some ramen, too?"

Kaede sighed and muttered something that sounded like 'Figures'. "No, child. Ramen is not for breakfast."

The blond boy pouted at his empty plate.

"Don't look so glum, kid," an amused voice said from behind him. Naruto turned around and saw his uncle walking into the kitchen. "She always makes some ramen for lunch and dinner."

The boy smiled again, and not just from the news that he'd have his favorite food for lunch.

"As if I have any other choice," Kaede huffed. "Good morning, Kaji-kun."

"Good morning, Kaede-san," the young man said obediently. He sat down next to Naruto and ruffled his hair. "Good morning to you too, little squirt. Did you sleep well?"

"Uh-huh!" Naruto said as Kaede placed a plate full of eggs and toast in front of him and another in front of his uncle.

The old woman looked him up and down critically. "Naruto-chan, why did you wear such shabby clothes today?"

' _Shabby?_ ' Naruto checked the t-shirt and pants he was wearing. "Uh, these are my good clothes, Kaede-obaa-chan."

"Your…" The old woman pursed her lips and shook her head. "Kaji-kun, Naruto-chan needs some new clothes."

His uncle reluctantly lowered the piece of toast he had been about to eat. "Why? What's wrong with the ones…" The young man looked at the boy and sighed. "…Right. Looks like you and I are going shopping together, Naruto.

" _After_ breakfast." He took a bite out of his toast, looking defiantly at the brown-haired woman.

"What's going to happen after breakfast?" Naruto's grandfather asked as he entered the kitchen. The old man sat across the table from the young man and the boy, bidding good morning to everyone present.

Kaji nodded in greeting and hastily swallowed his mouthful of toast. "Naruto and I are going to get some new clothes for him."

"That's fortunate. I was just thinking about asking you to take care of it." The old man chuckled softly as his son scowled at him. "Make sure to have the Uzumaki crest added on the back of his new shirts and jackets."

One of Kaji's eyebrows shot up. "Has the clan already accepted him officially?"

"No, not yet. There simply wasn't time yesterday for a clan meeting. I'm going to present all the paperwork to them this morning." The old man nodded at Kaede as he accepted a plate filled with food. "Nevertheless, I don't think anyone is going to object. The medical exams alone are enough to prove that Naruto is a member of our clan."

"What's so important about the clan?" Naruto's brows were drawn together as he tried to figure out the answer to his question. "And the spiral?"

"The spiral is the crest of our clan, Naruto. See?" Kaji turned his shoulder slightly and showed the boy the red spiral on the back of his shirt. "It marks you as a member of the Uzumaki clan."

That confused Naruto even more. "But lots of people wear that here. Are they all family?"

"Kind of. They're extended family, with whom we share ancestors," his uncle explained.

Naruto found that this didn't help at all.

"As for the clan," his grandfather said, "their acceptance means that you can carry the Uzumaki name. As soon as the papers are signed, you'll be known as Uzumaki Naruto."

 _Uzumaki Naruto._

He'd never had a family name but, somehow, it sounded… right.

"Being my grandson," his grandfather continued, "there are certain expectations of you from the other clan members. Don't worry, though, Kaji and I will explain everything and introduce you everyone in the clan soon."

"Introduce me to… _everyone_?" The boy's voice sounded considerably more high-pitched as he imagined being surrounded by a crowd of strangers.

"Unfortunately," Kaji sighed. "Don't worry, we'll suffer through it together."

Naruto's face fell. He should have known that nothing would change.

"I meant because it's going to be so tedious," the dark-haired man said hastily. "You don't have to worry about– That is, no-one is going to–"

"The worst you'll have to endure is the endless swarm of people wanting to meet you, child." Naruto noticed the grateful look his uncle send to his grandfather. "But, as Kaji said, we'll be with you the entire time."

"Oh." Naruto's shoulders slumped in relief, although he tried his best not to show it. "That doesn't sound too bad."

"Just wait until you've spent an hour in the company of more than two Uzumaki," his uncle mumbled.

"Don't be so dramatic, Kaji," Naruto's grandfather said as he poured a cup of tea. "Naruto will have no trouble fitting in with the rest of the clan."

"That's what worries me most, Father."

"You're really not one to talk, son."

The blond boy shrugged and decided not to dwell on the strange things his grandfather and uncle often said when they were talking to each other. He didn't know what to say in order to take part in the conversation, anyway.

' _But I'll find out,_ ' Naruto promised to himself.

 **-XOXO-**

As it turned out, shopping for clothes with his nephew wasn't as onerous a task as Kaji had feared it would be. Other than a mild fascination with the color orange, Naruto hadn't been overly picky.

The dark-haired man still couldn't believe that this was happening. Here he was after months of scheming, walking with his nephew in the heart of Uzushio, doing something as trivial as picking out clothes.

' _I guess it won't sink in until I see him wearing the Uzumaki crest on his back_.'

"Uncle Kaji?"

Naruto's hesitant query drew him out of his contemplations. "Yes, Naruto? Did you want something?"

The boy nodded. "Why are all these women staring at you?"

Kaji looked around him and stifled a groan. So much for getting through this shopping trip without attracting the usual crowd of fangirls. Thankfully, Naruto's presence seemed to keep them at bay.

"Because…" How could he explain what 'fangirls' were to a five-year-old? "…Because they want me to pay attention to them."

"But you don't want to?"

"No way!" The dark-haired man actually cringed at the innocent suggestion. Enjoying the… ah, _benefits_ … of a relationship with one of those women wasn't worth putting up with jealous outbursts over all the _other_ predators circling him on a daily basis.

Naruto closed his eyes a bit and tilted his head to the side, a gesture the young man had learnt to identify as 'confused pondering'. "Why not?"

"Because…." Kaji gave up; he wasn't going to have _that_ talk with Naruto. "Look, kid, it's a grown-up thing. Don't worry, you'll learn about that too soon enough."

"I will?"

"Oh, yes," the young man nodded emphatically. "I'd be lying if I told you that you won't have the same problem when you're older."

"Problem?" Naruto seemed to be getting more and more puzzled by Kaji's words.

' _Feh. Shows what he knows. He should be feeling fear, not confusion._ '

"Yes, 'problem'. You're the grandson of the Head of Uzushio, so girls would flock around you even if you looked like an oni. Unfortunately for your mental health, you've also got both your parents' good looks." The boy was a whiskered miniature copy of Minato, but with Kushina's jawline and eye shape. In other words, he was already doomed. "Give it a few years and you'll have to beat girls off with a stick."

At long last, Naruto's face was showing some degree of apprehension. "What–"

A girl's squealing laughter interrupted whatever the blond boy was about to say. Kaji quickly spotted the source of the high-pitched sound: two red-haired girls who were running down the busy street. Judging by the way the one with the glasses was chasing the other one, they seemed to be playing a game of tag.

The first girl easily navigated her way through the crowded street. Her bespectacled companion, however, was not so lucky. Only the dark-haired man's swift intervention stopped her from crashing into Naruto.

' _That was a bit more literal than what I had in mind, not to mention a few years too early._ '

Kaji shook his head and released the girl. "Close call."

"Sorry, mister." The girl with the glasses looked at Naruto; her red eyes were filled with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." The blond boy hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and standing straighter. "My name's Naruto… er, Uzumaki Naruto."

The girl smiled faintly, obviously put at ease by the lack of hostility on Naruto's part. "Mine is Uzumaki Karin. Sorry for nearly hitting you."

"That's okay!" Naruto said with a bright grin, before frowning. "'Uzumaki'? Uncle Kaji, is she family, too?"

Kaji examined the girl closely. Unless he was mistaken, she was the daughter of Uzumaki Hisa and a merchant from Kusagakure.

"She's a member of our clan, but not directly related by blood to either of us." He hummed thoughtfully as he tried to find a simple way to explain what 'extended family' meant. "She's more of a very, very distant cousin to you."

Naruto's eyes widened as he tried to wrap his head around the notion. The dark-haired man couldn't really blame him. He may have grown up surrounded by his three older siblings and innumerable cousins, but the blond boy had been all alone until about a week ago. Naruto would need some time to get used to the concept of 'family'.

"Karin!" The other red-haired girl had evidently noticed that she was no longer being chased. "Why have you… oh. Hello!"

"Honoka!" Karin ran over to the girl staring quizzically at the three of them and grabbed her by the arm. "This is Naruto! I almost ran into him a moment ago!"

"Karin!"

"I said ' _almost'_." The bespectacled girl somehow managed to sound offended by her friend's scolding. "Anyway, guess what? He's an Uzumaki too, just like you and me, although I've never seen him before."

The girl whose name appeared to be Honoka studied Naruto's face carefully. "Neither have I."

"That's because Naruto came to live in Uzushio only a couple of days ago," Kaji informed them.

"Really? Where did you live before?" the dark-eyed red-haired girl asked.

"…In Konoha," Naruto mumbled.

The two girls exchanged a look. Even though they seemed to be barely a year older than Naruto, they had nevertheless caught on to his reluctance to speak about his former home.

"So," Karin asked, tracing a small circle on the ground with her sandal, "would you like to play tag with us?"

Naruto just stared at her for a few moments. "...You want me to play with you?"

"Uh-huh." Dark-eyed Honoka grinned at the boy. "It's more fun with more people, but we have to stay in the marketplace where my mom can watch us from her store."

The girl pointed at the flower shop a couple dozen meters away, where a brown-haired woman –presumably her mother– was sitting. The young woman saw them looking at her and waved a hand at them.

From the look on the boy's face, Kaji guessed that he was about to refuse the offer. That simply would not do. "Sounds like fun. Wouldn't you agree, Naruto?"

"Yeah. Only… I don't know how to play tag."

The dark-haired man clenched his hands into fists, but somehow managed to keep a smile on his face. He opened his mouth to reassure his nephew, but Karin beat him to it.

"It's easy. The one marked has to chase the others until he manages to mark someone else. All he has to do is touch the other person" Karin demonstrated by placing her hand on Naruto's shoulder "and say: 'Tag! You're it!'"

Giggling madly, both girls ran away, leaving the blond boy to stare at them in confusion.

"Hey! No fair, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled and took off after them.

Kaji chuckled at their antics. He'd planned to return home and spend some time with his nephew, but this was actually much better. Besides, the two of them could always catch up later. He was going to file an application for a desk job before his temporary leave of absence was over. He'd miss being on the field, but he wanted to be here.

Not knowing how long it would take for the kids to tire out, he entered a nearby teashop and, seating himself at a table with a clear view of the street, he ordered a cup of green tea and some dango.

The dark-haired man smiled to himself as he heard the children's laughter from outside.

It was strange to reflect on how much his life had changed since he'd walked into that ramen shop five months ago.

 **-XOXO-**

"You're looking terrible, old man."

That wasn't the proper way to greet his former sensei, but Jiraiya couldn't honestly say that the Hokage was looking as good as ever. Even perched as he was on the window of the Hokage's office, the Toad Sage could see the dark circles around the other man's eyes. Sarutobi Hiruzen was looking beyond worn out.

"Jiraiya." The elderly Hokage put down his pen and turned his chair to get a better look at the only member of the Sannin who hadn't cut ties with his home village. "I didn't think my message would find you so soon."

"It didn't." Jiraiya jumped down from the windowsill and sat on one of the chairs in front of the Hokage's desk. "I returned as soon as I heard what happened."

The Hokage slumped in his chair and rubbed his forehead; the Toad Sage was struck by how old he seemed to be. "How bad is it outside the Land of Fire?"

"Bad." Since the word failed to do the situation justice, Jiraiya decided to elaborate. "Suna and Kumo both had spies in Konoha during the Rinne Festival. Naturally, they knew everything that had transpired just hours after Uzushio seceded. And, for once, they weren't averse to sharing information with the other Hidden Villages. The news spread across the elemental nations faster than a wildfire.

"And not just about the breaking of the alliance." Jiraiya shook his head and shot his sensei a cold look. "There's also a lot of chatter about Naruto. The son of the Yellow Flash of Konoha, grandson of the Head of Uzushio… and jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."

The boy was barely old enough to use chakra and yet he had already been marked as a threat potentially just as powerful as his father.

"Unsurprising," the Hokage said with a heavy sigh, "considering that Naruto used the Kyuubi's chakra in front of everyone in the village."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes even further until they resembled thin slits. "What made Naruto react that way, sensei?"

He already knew the answer to that; he just wanted to see if his sensei was going to be entirely honest with him at long last.

Before he had come here, he'd done a little research and had made a few inquiries around the village. The mere memory of those conversations was enough to make his blood boil. ' _'Demon child'. How dare they_.' The only reason the people he'd questioned were still breathing was because, no matter what his personal feelings were, Jiraiya was a shinobi of Konoha.

The Hokage returned Jiraiya's accusatory glare with an even stare. "If you want to know why I didn't tell you the truth about–"

"Why did you lie to me about Naruto, _sensei_?" His knuckles had turned white from gripping the chair's arms so tightly, but he had somehow managed not to yell at the old man.

"Because telling you the truth would have created a host of different problems."

"Like what?" Jiraiya scoffed. "Me returning to Konoha to do something about improving the boy's life?"

"Yes." The Hokage stared down his former student. "How do you think it would have looked if the sensei of the Yondaime–"

"I don't _care_ how it would have looked!" Jiraiya snarled.

"You sound just like Kakashi and Mikoto."

That actually was the best news the Toad Sage had heard in days. "Good to know I'm not the only one who objected to this crazy plan of yours."

"Don't look so smug," the Hokage snapped. "You're by far the most likely suspect for treason."

Considering that he'd spent the last five years away from the Leaf with only minimal contact and absolutely no oversight from the Hokage or his ANBU, the Toad Sage couldn't blame his sensei for coming to that conclusion.

' _But I'm not the one who babbled._ ' Not that he was ever going to admit that.

"Really? Who are the others?" Jiraiya asked, even though he doubted the old man would indulge his curiosity.

"Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi, Nara Shikaku, and Hyuuga Hiashi." The Hokage bit out each name as if they left a foul taste in his mouth.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence as Jiraiya waited for his sensei to continue reciting the names of the suspected traitors.

"…That's all of them?" The Toad Sage asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"You're telling me that only five people in the _entire village_ cared about Naruto?"

"No. Just that those five –and you," the Hokage said, giving him a dark look, "had both a reason and the means to contact the Uzumaki."

"That's..." Jiraiya clamped his mouth shut before he said something he'd regret –although, at this point, he couldn't imagine what that would be. What kind of hell had Naruto been through?

' _I should have killed my so-called 'informants' here, not put them in the hospital_.'

"You're lucky I need your talents, Jiraiya, otherwise I'd have you confined to Konoha, just like the others." Judging by the look in the old man's face, he wasn't joking about this.

"What's so important that overrules suspicions of high treason?" He was honestly curious about that. Standard procedure demanded to at least _pretend_ to interrogate him before sending him off on another mission.

"I need you to disarm the remaining seals in the residential block Naruto's apartment is located."

"Is the parting gift of the Uzumaki giving you trouble, sensei?"

The Hokage pressed his lips together, but refused to take the bait. "After you're done with that, I need you to find Tsunade and convince her to return to Konoha."

 _Now_ Jiraiya understood why he was getting off so easily; the old man was sending him on a suicide mission. "No. Absolutely not. She's going to kill me!"

"If you refuse, then I'll hand you over to Danzou." The Toad Sage could swear the Hokage was smirking at him. "He's been rather… on edge these past few days."

 _Of course_ he was; the old war-hawk was probably itching to pin the blame on someone. "That's a cheap shot, old man."

The Hokage shrugged, uncaring. "Will you find Tsunade?"

The Toad Sage scowled at his old sensei. "You know that she's going to be furious with you for the disaster with Uzushio, don't you?"

"As long as she agrees to oversee the training of the medical corps, I don't care if she demolishes the Hokage Tower."

Jiraiya had to admit that this _was_ something Tsunade might do. Even though she considered herself a Senju, she was nevertheless very fond of her Uzumaki heritage. ' _She certainly has their infamous temper._ '

"Fine. I'll track her down after I have a talk with Uzumaki Kenjiro."

"A talk with…" The Hokage gaped at him for a few moments. "You can't go to Uzushio! No shinobi of Konoha can."

"So I heard," Jiraiya said with a nonchalant shrug. "However, it's imperative that we talk to them now, while the alliance is still in fresh their minds. Of course," Jiraiya couldn't resist giving his old sensei a pointed look, "it would be easier to negotiate with them if you and your _esteemed_ advisors hadn't enforced a war-time levy on Konoha's oldest ally for _five years_ with absolutely no justification."

When Jiraiya had looked into the agreements that had been made with Uzushio after Minato's death, he had seriously begun to believe that his old sensei had gone senile during his absence.

"Do not presume to pass judgement, Jiraiya. It was a difficult time after the Kyuubi's rampage; we needed as many shinobi as we could get to protect the Leaf from the other villages."

"Well, you protected it." The Toad Sage's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "And the Akashio, Takashio, and Nagare clans were all so _grateful_ to Konoha for this that instead of holding back the Uzumaki, they _supported them fully_."

The Hokage looked like he'd aged a decade in the span of a few seconds. "Do you think talking with them will change anything?"

"Honestly? No," Jiraiya said bluntly. "That won't stop me from trying, though. Besides, I want to finally introduce myself to my godson."

"I understand your desire to meet Naruto. Regardless," the Hokage said, "I cannot allow you to do that. As bad as things are between Konoha and Uzushio now, your presence there is only going to start a war."

Jiraiya gritted his teeth; the old man might be right, but that didn't mean he had to like it. "I can't just sit by and do nothing. The other Kage will be cautious for now; they'll want test Konoha's strength before they do anything. But soon, they're going to grow bolder."

"I think I have a few good years left," the old man said with forced optimism. "And the other Kage know it, too. They won't attack Konoha while I'm still alive and holding the position of Hokage. We have time – enough to train the new generation and, maybe, to let the Uzumaki calm down and reconsider the alliance.

"The key is Kenjiro. If he can be convinced to forgive and forget, then then the shinobi of Uzushio will follow suit. However," the Hokage said, giving Jiraiya a meaningful look, "he will only listen to someone he trusts – someone he owes a deep, personal debt to."

 _The one who reunited him with his presumed dead grandson._

The words hung between them, unspoken but clearly understood by both men. The only Konoha shinobi Uzumaki Kenjiro would listen to was the traitor responsible for their predicament. And the Hokage was willing to let that person go unpunished as long as he helped reforge the alliance.

"I understand, Sarutobi-sensei. I'll do what needs to be done." Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi, Nara Shikaku, Hyuuga Hiashi. He'd need to find as much about them as he possibly could.

' _And I know just the man to ask_.'

Jiraiya stood up and walked towards the window.

"Jiraiya?"

The Toad Sage paused with one foot resting on the windowsill.

"Did you tell the Uzumaki about Naruto?"

He didn't turn around; he had always been a terrible liar. "What do you think, sensei?"

Before the Hokage could respond, Jiraiya used a _Shunshin_ to get as far away from the Hokage Tower as possible. ' _Let the old man think I'm the traitor._ ' The Toad Sage was indispensable to Konoha; the others, despite their talents and social standing, were not.

If this was the only way to protect the one who had done what Jiraiya had been too hesitant to do, then so be it.

 **-XOXO-**

Kakashi wasn't certain whether it was force of habit or guilt that drew him to Naruto's empty apartment. Standing in his usual spot with his hands inside his pockets, he examined the building in front of him.

Even a civilian's untrained eyes would be able to see the intricate geometric drawings covering many of the walls in Naruto's apartment complex and the adjacent buildings.

Giving in to the temptation, he walked inside the empty apartment. He was well aware of what the two ANBU shadowing him would think, but he simply didn't give a damn about it. He had spent five years watching over Naruto. He had more right to be here than anyone in Konoha.

Contrary to what he had expected, the small apartment hadn't been picked clean. The furniture was still there, along with all the cookware and most of the boy's clothes. ' _Makes sense._ ' The Uzumaki were very wealthy; they probably took only what Naruto wanted to have with him in his new home.

 _Home._ That was what Uzushio would be to the boy; he was certain of that.

 _'Am I regretting it?_ '

He should be. He should be disgusted with himself for his actions. It was his weakness, his inability to place the good of the village over the wellbeing of a single child, his selfish desire to see that child happy that had brought upon Konoha the worst disaster since the Kyuubi. The next few years would be very difficult for Konoha, there was no doubt about it.

But, despite what many doomsayers were claiming, they would survive this. There were plenty of talented shinobi here –himself included. During the Second Shinobi World War, the Leaf had managed to stand against the other villages without the aid of the Whirlpool in the years after the invasion.

"Admiring your handiwork?"

Kakashi felt a shiver run down his spine. He hadn't heard anyone enter Naruto's apartment. Not to mention that the unidentified person's choice of words was anything but comforting. Turning around, he saw a middle-aged man with a shaggy mane of white hair; the older man had his arms folded over his chest and was looking at Kakashi through narrowed eyes.

' _When did_ he _return to Konoha?_ ' "Jiraiya-sama?"

"Don't play dumb with me," the Toad Sage scoffed.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about," Kakashi said, concealing his growing panic behind a mask of confusion.

Jiraiya turned away from him and pointed to one of the apartment's walls. "Do you know what this is?"

"A barrier seal?" the young man hazarded a guess. The design vaguely resembled the standard barrier seal he knew, but so many additions had been made to it that it could have been anything.

"It's a barrier combined with a trap. See these parts here, here, and here?" The Toad Sage indicated three particularly complex matrices. "The first is a seal that converts half of the chakra stored in the central matrix into water. The second converts the other half into fire. The third combines the two, recreating the Boil Release kekkei genkai."

Kakashi stared at the seal with apprehension. Thankfully, it appeared to be disarmed.

There were many reasons the Uzumaki clan's fuuinjutsu was legendary; this was just one of them. Kekkei genkai were secrets jealously guarded by the clans that possessed them, but the Uzumaki had discovered a long time ago how to recreate some of them through the use of seals. They could then inscribe those seals in anything, including weapons. It took a tremendous amount of time and effort to learn how to use and sustain the seals, as losing control of either of the two elements –even for an instant– would result in an explosion which would most likely be fatal for the wielder, but the results were more than worth the risks.

' _No wonder so many nations banded together to destroy Uzushio twenty years ago_.'

"The _Futton_ chakra is then channeled into the main seal through this part." Jiraiya pointed at something Kakashi could recognize as a link between different types of seals. "If the barrier is broken, then you have an explosion of super-heated steam. Nasty way to go.

"I suspect that this one is Uzumaki Kaji's handiwork," the Toad Sage added innocently. "He's widely feared for his use of _Futton_ in combat through the seals inscribed on his sword, along with his unique kenjutsu style. He was even given a moniker during the War. You remember, don't you, Kakashi?" Jiraiya scratched his chin, deep in thought. "What was it again?"

' _Keep it together. No matter what he says, he has no proof. He's only trying to get me to slip up._ ' Sadly, the Sannin's tactic was working better than Kakashi would care to admit.

"Oh well," Jiraiya said with a dismissive hand wave. "It will come to me eventually."

Kakashi decided that it was time for him to get as far away from the Sannin as possible. "I'm sure it will, Jiraiya-sama. But I've already taken up enough of your time. I really should–"

"How many such seals do you think were placed around this block, Kakashi?"

The Copy Ninja would have to be a complete idiot to miss the sudden change in the other man's demeanor. "I don't know. A dozen?"

"Not even close," Jiraiya scoffed. "I disarmed thirty-two barrier traps; I've been told that the ANBU had disarmed at least twice as many standard trap and sentry seals before I got here. I've seen fortresses with inferior defenses. Just what were you thinking?"

"Jiraiya-sama, I'm afraid that you're confused. I'm not the one who placed these seals here." Kakashi was very proud that his voice hadn't trembled in the slightest.

"Like I said, Kakashi, stop playing dumb with me." The Toad Sage narrowed his eyes even further. "I know it was you who tipped off the Uzumaki about Naruto."

The young man managed to keep a puzzled, carefully blank expression on his face, even though his heart was beating twice as fast as it had a few moments ago. ' _He's bluffing. He has to be._ '

"I had one on my toads sneak into Danzou's office," Jiraiya said as he leaned against the wall. "The old man has narrowed the number of suspects down to six although, frankly, I think that there are only three people who would risk everything to help Minato and Kushina's son.

"The first is Uchiha Mikoto. We can safely rule her out, however, because she's been under close surveillance by half her clan for the past five years. Ever since she tried to send a message to Kushina's family, I believe."

The Uchiha matriarch was the only person in Konoha other than Kakashi who had openly objected to the Hokage's decision to keep Naruto away from his mother's family. Shortly after the boy had been born, she had approached him with a plan to contact Kushina's father and brother, but the he had refused to help her, telling her that his duty was to follow the Hokage's orders and protect Konoha.

What a fool he'd been.

"The second is yours truly." Jiraiya accompanied his words with a rather flamboyant gesture to his chest. "Now, I know that I'm not the one who talked. Which leaves only the third one."

The young man found himself sweating under the Sannin's piercing gaze. "I'm afraid that I don't–"

"Don't try to deny it," the Toad Sage said. "I'm certain it was you because this is exactly what I would have done if I'd been in your place."

Jiraiya's words should have petrified Kakashi. The truth was out, and he was as good as dead. There was no way he could escape from one of the Sannin.

Instead, the only thing he felt was anger.

Drawing a shuriken from his leg holster, he nicked his thumb and, after a quick sequence of hand seals, he slammed his right on the ground. With a puff of smoke, eight ninja hounds of varying colors and sizes materialized from thin air. They all greeted him with friendly barks.

"What do you need, Kakashi?" the small, brown-colored pug sitting on top of the large black bulldog asked.

"Guard the perimeter," the young man said. "Make sure there's no-one snooping around us."

The eight dogs barked in acknowledgement of the order and scattered.

Jiraiya was staring at him with an eyebrow raised in confusion.

Somehow, that only served to make the Copy Ninja even angrier. "Then why weren't you in my place?"

The Toad Sage's other eyebrow joined the first; the older man appeared to be taken completely aback by Kakashi's sudden hostility.

"Five years is a long time, Jiraiya-sama, long enough for you to find some time to check up on your godson and see how he was doing. Instead, you chose to focus on your _duty_."

"You're _really_ in no position to be lecturing me about duty, Kakashi." Jiraiya said darkly.

"Am I not?" Kakashi knew that his outburst was going to get him arrested and probably executed but, right now, he didn't care one bit about the consequences. After five years of bottling up his anger inside him, it felt good to finally lash out and say what was really on his mind. "It was duty that kept me silent for so long.

"I should never have agreed to follow Hokage-sama's orders. But I did," the young man said bitterly, "and I had to live with the consequences of my inaction." He gave the Sannin his coldest look. "Do you even know what Naruto's life had been like?"

"I do. But this doesn't excuse your actions. You should have done something to help the boy instead of committing treason."

"Help," Kakashi laughed harshly. "I killed fourteen shinobi of Konoha who were plotting to get rid of the 'demon child' before Naruto celebrated his first birthday. I threatened the people working in the orphanage more times than I can count. I always made sure that the boy was properly fed and clothed. Do you know what all my efforts amounted to?"

"No," Jiraiya said quietly; the Sannin had grown progressively paler as the silver-haired ninja kept talking, resembling a ghost with a shaggy ponytail.

"Nothing," Kakashi stated bluntly. "Absolutely nothing. No matter how many threats I removed, there was always someone ready and eager to remind Naruto that he was nothing but a monster. 'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.' At least I got to choose what kind of trash I am."

"As did I, I suppose," Jiraiya muttered. "You know, Kakashi, if you had betrayed Konoha for any other reason, then you wouldn't have to worry about Danzou getting his claws on you. I'd have killed you the moment you opened your mouth."

The young man didn't doubt that for an instant. "I know. Are you going to inform the Hokage about my involvement in this?"

"No. However," Jiraiya added before Kakashi could get his hopes up, "I'm going to have to ask you to do something for me. Consider it the price of my silence."

He should have figured; nothing in the shinobi world was without a price. Although, in this case, anything was preferable to the treatment Danzou and the T&I department would offer him. "What do you want of me, Jiraiya-sama?"

"I want you to put me in contact with Uzumaki Kaji," Jiraiya said without any preamble.

Kakashi just stared at the man, bug-eyed. "You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid that I am. You revealed Naruto's existence to the Uzumaki–"

"No, I didn't," the silver-haired man interjected before the Sannin could build up momentum. "Kaji had already figured out who Naruto was just from talking to the boy for a few minutes. I simply filled in the missing pieces for him."

"He had?" Jiraiya hummed thoughtfully. "That wasn't the impression I got from Danzou's files. It seems that both he and the Hokage are severely underestimating the Uzumaki prince."

Kakashi held back a snort. They wouldn't be the first ones. Many people mistook Kaji's absentmindedness for stupidity, a mistake they often payed for with their lives. The dark-haired man was as cunning as a fox, with a keen mind and sharp eyes that took in every detail of his surroundings.

"Still," Jiraiya continued, "your blabbering escalated things, so you're going to help me fix this mess. I _need_ to talk to Uzumaki Kenjiro and Kaji is my best hope of reaching him."

"Don't you have three students in Uzushio, Jiraiya-sama?" Kakashi reminded the older man. "Why not ask them?"

"Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan?" Jiraiya shook his head. "They've been in Uzushio for almost a decade now, so I don't know if they would be willing to help me with this."

' _If they're the same three that were accompanying Kaji when he introduced Naruto to Kenjiro-sama, then I seriously doubt they'd help you._ ' Kakashi knew better than to give voice to his thoughts, however.

"You, on the other hand," the Toad Sage added, "don't have a choice in the matter."

"And what makes you think that Kaji will listen to _me_ in the first place?"

"Because he owes you for helping him with Naruto," the Toad Sage said simply.

That was a valid point, one that Kakashi could not dispute. The Uzumaki clan was famous for three things: their mastery over the Sealing Arts, their hair-trigger temper, and their generosity towards their friends. ' _And, probably, their vindictiveness against their enemies._ ' Their recent actions certainly proved as much. Besides, Kakashi really wanted to help the Sannin repair the relations between the Leaf and the Whirlpool.

However, there was one small problem. "I can't. Danzou-sama has me under strict surveillance."

He didn't even dare visit the spot in the forest Kaji's message had indicated, knowing that whatever was waiting for him there would definitely be incriminating. If he attempted to send a message to Uzushio now, then he might as well sign his confession and get it over with.

"You and five others, myself included," Jiraiya reminded him. "However, not even the old war-hawk will be able to keep it up forever."

"That could be years from now," the silver-haired man pointed out.

"I know. But, as the Hokage reminded me yesterday, it might be prudent to wait a while for tempers to cool off before contacting the Uzumaki."

That was indeed a wise strategy. Besides, the Uzumaki weren't the only ones who needed some time to deal with their lingering anger.

"Then I'll send Kaji a message when I can. I'll let you know what he replies."

At the very least, it would be nice to get news from Uzushio.

 **-XOXO-**

Senju Tsunade glared at the white-haired pest sitting across the table and inwardly weighed the pros and cons of punching him into the wall. The man just refused to acknowledge how much his incessant babbling was aggravating her already blinding headache; he kept talking and _talking_ …

"Jiraiya…" she growled warningly. "If you say one more word, you're going to need Shizune's help to walk away from here."

The pervert's mouth snapped shut and he met her glare with one of his own.

"I wouldn't have to repeat myself if you were paying attention to _me_ instead of _this_." He reached out and, before she could react, grabbed the sake bottle that was on the table, holding it out of her reach.

' _That's it! I'm going to kill him!_ '

She rose from her seat and, supporting herself on the table with both hands, fixed him with her coldest, most terrifying look. "Give. It. Back."

Apparently, her terrifying glare needed some work because he didn't even quail under her fury. "Not until you hear me out properly. Konoha needs you, Tsunade."

She examined the table for possible weapons to use against her insufferable former teammate. Spotting a nice, heavy-looking porcelain cup, she lifted it and threw it at him.

He dodged it effortlessly. "Sensei wants you to–"

"I don't care!" She grabbed another cup. "I'm done with Konoha."

"You used to care about the village more than anyone." Jiraiya ducked under the second cup she threw at him. "I know this hasn't changed, Tsunade!"

Dammit! Why couldn't the pervert just stand still and let her hit him?

"Yes, I did care. And what has that gotten me?" She grabbed an empty bottle this time. "Nothing but heartache. Now go away!"

"Don't talk to me about heartache, Tsunade!" Jiraiya's cheerful façade was gone now; she hadn't seen him so angry in years. "The past few weeks have been extremely trying for me, so I'm not in the best of moods right now."

"And whose fault is that? I'm not the one who kept Minato's child away from his family, am I?" That managed to shut the pervert up. "I heard about the fiasco with Uzushio. Sarutobi-sensei can fix his own mess!"

"It's not just 'his' mess, Tsunade," Jiraiya protested. "If you refuse to help, Konoha might fall."

"Maybe it deserves to fall." The Slug Princess had many fond memories of Uzushio from the times she had visited the small island with her grandparents and her little brother.

"You've really changed, Tsunade. What would Nawaki and Dan say if they could hear you now?"

She froze with her right hand ready to throw the bottle at him. Then, she narrowed her eyes at him and threw it so hard that it turned into dust when it hit the wall.

"Don't you dare!" Tsunade screeched, furious.

"They both wanted to protect Konoha," Jiraiya continued, heedless of the imminent danger of sustaining grievous bodily harm he was in. "It was their dream to become Hokage so they could protect the village and every person living in it. If you refuse to help now, then every sacrifice you've made – every sacrifice _they've_ made – will have been for nothing."

She glared at him again, trying to convince herself that he was wrong. Unfortunately, he knew her better than most.

Nawaki, her beloved little brother, had dreamed about following in their grandfather's footsteps, wanting to become Hokage so he could protect Konoha. And Dan, the man she had loved more than anyone else, had had the same dream. They had both died trying to accomplish that, leaving her broken.

Tsunade had quit being a kunoichi after Dan died – and not just because a ninja who froze up in fear at the sight of blood was completely useless. She had severed all ties with her home village, taking only Shizune, her sort-of niece, with her. Jiraiya knew this, and yet here he was, trying to guilt her into returning to Konoha just as she was about to begin another day of gambling and drinking.

' _How dare he come here and ask for my help? How dare he make it sound like_ I _am the only one who can help?_ '

She sighed and sat down again. She was far too sober to deal with this. "How could this happen, Jiraiya? The four great clans of Uzushio wouldn't have broken the old alliance over a little boy."

"You're right, they wouldn't." Her old teammate squirmed in his chair. "You know that Uzushio has been undermanned since Iwa and Kiri's invasion, right?"

Tsunade simply shot him a look that screamed 'Get to the point already or I'm going to hit you'. She knew better than him what had happened in Uzushio after the invasion.

"After the Kyuubi incident," Jiraiya said, "Konoha needed more shinobi to fill in for the ones that had been killed. Naturally, Uzushio was the first place they turned to for help."

"But Uzushio could barely cover its own borders and the demands for missions with the number of active ninja it had!" Up till she had left Konoha, she had been volunteering regularly to participate in joint missions precisely for this reason.

"I know that," Jiraiya said, gesturing for her to settle down and not draw any more attention to them than she already had. "And the Hokage and his Council knew that, too."

"Why would the four clan heads even agree to such a proposal?" Tsunade asked in a much quieter tone of voice.

"If you ask me, I would say that even though helping the Leaf would hurt their interests, refusing to help would hurt them even more." The white-haired pervert squirmed in his seat again. "Unfortunately, Hokage _-sama_ took it a little too far."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"They were still enforcing the war-time levy on Uzushio five years after the Kyuubi's attack."

"That's–" she sputtered, aghast.

"A terrible abuse of power," Jiraiya nodded in agreement. "But also necessary for the survival of the Leaf." His expression soured. "Or so I've been told. Which brings us back to the reason I'm here."

Tsunade looked briefly at the sake bottle that was – regrettably – out of her reach; her instincts told her that she was going to need a drink after this. "What does Sarutobi-sensei want from me, Jiraiya?"

"The Hokage asks you to return to the Leaf and oversee the training of the medical corps. He's also offering you the position of Chief Medic in Konoha's hospital."

"'Asks'? Or 'demands'?"

"Sensei would never be foolish enough to demand anything out of you, Tsunade," Jiraiya assured her hastily.

"Good." Even though she hadn't been an active kunoichi for years, Tsunade was glad to see that people hadn't forgotten what she was capable of with just a flick of her fingers.

"Will you accept the position?" Jiraiya asked – a little anxiously, in the blonde woman's opinion.

Would she? _Should_ she?

' _Yes, I should. For Nawaki and Dan._ ' It was what they would have done in her place. Shizune would have to stand in for her during surgeries for a while, but Tsunade would find some way to rid herself of her fear of blood. She would be a medic again.

But _only_ under her own terms.

"I will. However, when we get back to Konoha, I'm going to have a talk with Sarutobi-sensei about the way he treated the shinobi of Uzushio."

"Warn me before you do that," Jiraiya asked, snickering like a schoolboy. "I want to find a safe spot far away from the Hokage Tower to watch."

Tsunade simply smiled at him. He really knew her way too well.

 **-XOXO-**

"What do you mean you didn't see Naruto sneaking into the library?" Kaji asked incredulously. "You were supposed to be watching him!"

The two chuunin Naruto's uncle was yelling at flinched under the dark-haired man's fury.

"W-We're terribly s-sorry, Kaji-sama," the red-haired one said. "We were just –"

"You were slacking off, weren't you?" Kaji gave the two men a cold look. "Don't even bother trying to deny it."

Naruto watched his uncle scold the two chuunin responsible for the huge library housed in Uzushio's administrative building with interest, suitably impressed by the young man's glare and deeply grateful he wasn't on the receiving end of it. Back in Konoha, people would yell at him even when he hadn't done anything to them, assuming that he was the one to blame for whatever it was that had gone wrong that day.

' _But this isn't Konoha_.'

Uzushio was so different from his old home that it might as well be part of a different world. He had family here and plenty of good friends. Karin and Honoka were his first – and closest – ones, but he had made many others in the two months he'd been here.

Although he still didn't know what he had done wrong this time.

"Three hours," Kaji half-growled, making the two clerks shiver in fear. "You had to watch my nephew for _three measly hours_ while I attended the jounin council meeting.

"Instead, I come back to find that he'd somehow gotten hold of an advanced book on fuuinjutsu and had even begun copying one of the kekkei genkai seals. Quite accurately, I might add." One of the clerks squeaked as Naruto's uncle narrowed his eyes even further. "Do you have any idea of the kind of disaster this could have turned into?"

The two men stuttered their way through an apology, but Kaji just waved his hand in a slashing motion, cutting them short.

"I don't want to hear any of your excuses," the young man said. "See to it that something like this doesn't happen again or I'll reassign the both of you to patrol duty on the border with Kiri. Now get out of my office."

"Yes, Kaji-sama!" They cried in unison and fled before the dark-haired man could change his mind.

Naruto snickered at their completely undignified exit.

"And you," Kaji said, turning to face him. "What were you thinking? S-class fuuinjutsu are not a toy. That book was locked away for a reason!"

The blond boy's laughter died out when he saw the look on his uncle's face. "I'm sorry, Uncle. I didn't mean to worry you like that. It's just that the book seemed really interesting."

"It's alright, Naruto," Kaji said, mellowing out considerably. "But please be more careful next time. Don't start copying seals just because they look interesting."

"I won't, I promise." The relief flooding the young man's face made Naruto feel even worse.

"Good. Although," Kaji added, "I suppose it's time I taught you the basics of fuuinjutsu."

"Yes!" Naruto noticed the look his uncle was giving him. "Uh, I mean… Thank you, Uncle."

"I do have two conditions, however." Kaji smirked. "No experiments on seals without my or Father's permission. And no sneaking peeks in books that are too advanced for you."

"But–"

"I'm serious, Naruto. You have to learn the basics before dabbling in more advanced jutsu or you're only going to hurt yourself."

"Okay," the blond boy agreed reluctantly.

Naruto watched, puzzled, as his uncle started gathering folders from his desk.

"Come on, Naruto," Kaji said before the boy had a chance to ask him what he was doing. "Time to go."

The blond furrowed his brows in confusion. "But I thought you still had some work to do here."

"This is supposed to be my day off and I refuse to spend it in the office. I'll finish these later, at home." He held the folders in the crook of his arm and motioned for the boy to exit the room. "Besides, I've had my fill of excitement for today."

"Okay," Naruto shrugged and walked out to let his uncle close and lock the door.

As soon as they exited the administrative building of Uzushio, where Kaji had been transferred recently, the blond boy instinctively reached up to hold his uncle's hand. His fingers found only the edges of the folders, however. Embarrassed, he lowered his hand and looked at the seal-engraved walls of the buildings around them.

Kaji chuckled softly and shifted the folders to his other arm. "Here you go, kid."

Naruto smiled and took the offered hand.

"Uncle?" the blond boy asked after they'd crossed one of the bridges spanning over the small river that flowed through Uzushio.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"What's a 'kekkei genkai seal'?"

"It's a sealing technique our clan developed a long time ago," the dark-haired man explained. "It allows us to convert ordinary chakra into two separate elements, combine them, and recreate a bloodline limit. It's one of our most powerful fuuinjutsu and perhaps the most difficult to master."

"Can you use it, Uncle?" As soon as the words flew out of the boy's mouth, Naruto realized that _of course_ a ninja as cool as his uncle would be able to use such a jutsu. "Which elements do you use?"

"I use water and fire. Together, they create the Boil Release bloodline limit. Super-heated, corrosive steam," the young man added when he saw the boy's puzzled look.

"That sounds _awesome_!" Naruto exclaimed, awed. "I want to learn how to do that, too! No, wait…" He mentally ran through the five elements, trying to determine which ones sounded better. "I want fire and lightning!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, kid, but nobody's managed to safely combine fire and lightning so far. The result is extremely volatile. You also don't want wind and lightning; these two just cancel each other out. One of the best combinations, if you have the affinity for one of them, is–" Kaji stopped talking and stared at Naruto for a few moments. "Wait, why am I even telling you how to create a bigger explosion?"

"Come on, Uncle," Naruto pleaded. "You _have_ to tell me!"

"I will. When you're older. Much older."

"You're mean."

"And you're only five years old," the dark-haired man countered. "Ask me again when you're fifteen."

"Fifteen?!" Naruto squawked.

"You're right, that's too soon. Twenty sounds better."

"Uncle!"

Kaji laughed, a light, gleeful sound that let the blond boy know his uncle was just messing with him.

"This isn't funny, Uncle!"

"It is from where I'm standing," the young man snickered.

Naruto tried to sulk at him, but the effect was ruined by the smile that had crept on his face.

"You know, kid," Kaji said, "we have a couple of hours before it's time to meet Father for lunch. Would you like to start your fuuinjutsu training now?"

"Uh-huh!" Naruto nodded eagerly.

"Then we'd better hurry home; we're going to need to use the library."

 **-XOXO-**

It was four hours later and after Naruto's grandfather had joined the two of them in their training that the realization hit the blond boy.

This was his family.

It wasn't the family he had dreamed of back in the orphanage. He wouldn't grow up happily under the shadow of the Hokage Monument with his mother and father who had returned to Konoha to find him again, like they always did in his daydreams. He wouldn't grow up to wear a hitai-ate with the leaf etched on the metal plate.

No, he would bear the spiral on his hitai-ate. He would be a proud shinobi of Uzushio. ' _And,_ ' Naruto thought as he listened to his grandfather and his uncle bickering with each other over whether to have lunch before continuing with the basics on seals or finish the lesson and eat later, ' _I wouldn't trade them for anyone else._ '

This was where he belonged. He was finally home.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

And this marks the end of CSI: Konoha.

I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. A combination of a busy schedule and a nasty writer's block kept me from finishing this for weeks.

And to think that I used to scoff when people mentioned 'writer's block'. How could it be possible to know what you want to write but not find the words to write it? It's nonsense, right?

Heh. Shows what I know.

To give you an idea of what this chapter went through: the only segments that made it intact from the draft to the first writing to editing to the proof-readings were Kakashi's interrogation and Naruto waking up in Uzushio for the first time. All the others were rewritten (at least) a couple of times. The segment in which Jiraiya and Kakashi talk, for instance, was supposed to be two separate ones (one with Jiraiya, one with Itachi), but I figured that if I kept both, then I might as well rename this chapter 'The Copy Ninja Rises', in which everyone under the sun learns Kakashi's secret.

But enough of my ranting. Moving on to the actual notes…

 **-X-**

Many of you are going to ask: Why aren't Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade defecting?

The answer is simple: because loyalty isn't broken so easily.

-X-

Jiraiya has been a shinobi of Konoha for almost three decades at this point. Sure, he loved Minato like a son and wants only the best for Naruto but, ultimately, he's not willing to turn his back on his village for his godson. In the _Search for Tsunade_ arc, we see him threaten to kill the woman he loves if she sides with Orochimaru and betrays the Leaf; that's how far he's willing to go to protect his home village.

If he actually knew Naruto, or even if he'd spent some time in Konoha during the past five years, things would have been different. Even in canon, it took a while before Jiraiya warmed up to Naruto. After all, it's one thing to be told 'someone had a crappy life', but it's a whole other story to have to watch that person as he goes through hell for years.

Does this mean that things are peachy between him and the Hokage? Hell no.

-X-

Tsunade is, at this point, a disillusioned gambling addict who drinks herself into a stupor almost every day to forget her past. Before she became that, though, she was a kunoichi of Konoha who cared deeply about her home. She may be ¼ Uzumaki, but she's also ¼ Senju. She's the granddaughter of the founder of Konoha and First Hokage, which is why everyone addresses her as 'princess' ('Tsunade-hime').

Why does she agree to return so easily: Two reasons. First, Jiraiya isn't asking her to take up the mantle of Hokage; he's simply asking her to return to being a medical ninja. Second, this happens seven years before their encounter in canon, so Tsunade is less jaded at this point than she was in the manga/anime.

Does this mean she doesn't care about Uzushio? Oh, she cares. She's going to be very angry with the Hokage for alienating her second homeland.

As to why she's not affected by Naruto's predicament: Why should she be? She doesn't know him. The two of them have never met, so she hasn't associated him with Nawaki and Dan. Naruto is just a random child to her.

-X-

Kakashi got the worst deal out of the three. Unlike Jiraiya, who had been a shinobi of Konoha long before he took Minato as his student, Kakashi met Minato at a more impressionable age. Then, after losing almost everyone who mattered to him, he had to spend five years in Konoha watching his sensei's son receiving a village-wide 'silent treatment', knowing that the boy could have a better life in Uzushio.

By Naruto's fifth birthday, he had almost reached the limit of his patience. If the meeting between Kaji and Naruto hadn't taken place, Kakashi would have found a way to contact the Uzumaki on his own within the year.

All things considered, it's no wonder he revealed the truth to the Uzumaki when the opportunity presented itself. However, the way things are now, he wouldn't defect unless there was no other choice.

 **-X-**

Uchiha Mikoto: I didn't forget about her and only remembered to add her now. The reason she hadn't been mentioned before is that she wasn't involved in the Uzumaki's plan. Kakashi wouldn't drag anyone else into this scheme and, at this point, the Uzumaki wouldn't care to look for more Konoha shinobi who might be willing to work with them.

The incident I'm alluding to: A few months after Naruto was born, Mikoto tried to send a letter to the Uzumaki. Knowing that Kakashi was on her side, she asked for his help, but he turned her down. She went on with her plan anyway, but she was caught before she could send the letter (mostly because she was acting alone). Since then, she has been under surveillance by her husband and most of the Military Police.

 **-X-**

Jiraiya, Danzou, and the search for the traitor

Danzou is the cop that values only evidence and disdains 'gut feelings', while Jiraiya is the cop that listens to his gut.

Normally, they would both reach the same conclusion. However, Jiraiya has evidence he's never going to share with Danzou. The Sannin knows for certain that the prime suspect (namely, himself) is innocent. Therefore, he can safely focus on the others while Danzou is still preoccupied with investigating suspect No 1.

 **-X-**

Kekkei genkai seals: That's something I made up by taking the principles of fuuinjutsu to their logical extreme. (I posted this chapter on 13 March 2016, so if anyone's mentioned this anywhere earlier, then I apologize, but I swear I didn't steal your idea.)

A kekkei genkai means that someone has an affinity for two elements instead of one and is able to activate both of them at the same time. Yamato explained it better in canon.

The same principle applies to the kekkei genkai seal (which is a combination of three other, 'lesser' seals). The ninja channels chakra in it, which is split in two and transformed into two elements by two different seals meant to convert normal chakra into a specific type of elemental chakra. Different seals mean different elements. Then, the two separate elemental chakra are combined again by a third seal in a 1:1 ratio and *boom* kekkei genkai.

The trick is that if the chakra ratio is off even a little bit due to poor chakra control, the ninja is likely to blow themselves up. Therefore, it's preferable for a ninja to use the element they have an affinity for and another they're familiar with in order to reduce the risk of losing control over the seal.

If you've been wondering why so many Hidden Villages signed treaties with Uzushio so easily and are determined to honor those treaties, this is one of the reasons. It's also one of the reasons Konoha shinobi think they're screwed without Uzushio.

As to whether Naruto will master this: Do you even need to ask?

On a side note: I have another jutsu in mind (hint: it has to do with Kaji's unique kenjutsu style) which is partially based on this one, so I would appreciate any kind of feedback about this particular fuuinjutsu.

 **-X-**

Additional Notes:

Kaede: She's not an Uzumaki; she's a civilian woman working as a servant in the house of the Uzumaki clan head.

-X-

War-time levy: When a nation is part of an alliance, then it has to commit forces for the defense of its allied nations. During peace, this is just a formality; the promise stands but, since no ally needs aid, the troops stay in their countries. During wartime, however, the forces each nation has committed to the alliance are deployed to aid the nation that is in need.

What this means here: After the Kyuubi incident, Konoha requested relief troops from Uzushio. And, since they didn't rescind the call for aid after the immediate danger passed, the Whirlpool had to send a number of troops to the Leaf while they got nothing in return.

Make no mistake: Konoha asking for help _was_ necessary after the Kyuubi's attack. Keeping that up for five years, however… Granted, the Leaf still wasn't back at full strength, but the shinobi of the Whirlpool could only take so much of this.

-X-

Kaji's moniker: From what we've seen, a lot of powerful ninja have been given unofficial titles to indicate how dangerous they are. The 'Yellow Flash', the 'Copy Ninja', the 'Professor', the 'White Fang', 'Sasori of the Red Sand', 'Gaara of the Desert', 'Ohnoki the Fence-Sitter', 'Unruly Ay', and so on and so forth.

-X-

Reassignment to the border with Kiri: For those who don't remember, Uzushio and Kiri's borders are on the sea. Therefore, border patrol there is basically being stuck on a ship in the middle of the ocean for weeks or maybe months on end, far away from civilization, watching the horizon for any other ships.

 **-X-**

Answers to reviewers:

Shikaku and Yoshino talking about 'How long can we last on our own': Basically, Yoshino is asking how long can Konoha survive when almost every other Hidden Village, _especially_ Uzushio, is now against them. No-one has declared war yet, but she and Shikaku think that it's only a matter of time.

-X-

The red spiral in Konoha's uniforms: Since Uzushio was never destroyed and the Uzumaki clan is very much alive (and more than a little cranky), the spiral was never added in Konoha's flak jackets. It doesn't have the 'remember Uzushio' meaning it has in canon. Quite the opposite, in fact: Konoha shinobi wearing the Uzumaki crest would be a grave insult, much like some random guy wearing, say, the Uchiha crest.

 **-X-**

Character Information

Uzumaki Kenjiro

Age: 64

Height: 175 cm (5ft 9)

Weight: 62 kg

Rank: Kage

Chakra Nature Transformation: Water (affinity), Fire, Lightning, Earth, Yang

Kekkei Genkai: Adamantine Chakra Chains

-X-

Jiraiya, clan name unknown

Age: 43

Height: 191.2 cm (6ft 3.3)

Weight: 87.5 kg

Rank: Jounin / Sage

Chakra Nature Transformation: Fire (affinity), Wind, Earth, Water, Yin, Yang

Kekkei Genkai: -

-X-

Senju Tsunade

Age: 43

Height: 163.1 cm (5ft 4.2)

Weight: 49 kg

Rank: Jounin

Chakra Nature Transformation: Lightning (affinity), Earth, Water, Fire, Yang

Kekkei Genkai: -

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please, review and share your thoughts.


	6. Chapter Five: Last of His Kind

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter Five: Last of His Kind**

"The Mizukage sent us an invitation to Kiri?" Kaji asked in a tone that did little to conceal his skepticism. "Seriously?"

"I was just as surprised as you are when I read the letter this morning," Kenjiro informed his son.

"This doesn't make any sense," Yahiko said with a puzzled frown on his face.

Konan nodded in agreement. "The timing is off. If Mizukage-sama really wanted to discuss the possibility of reopening trade routes, he would have sent us an invitation two years ago, in the aftermath of our secession from Konoha."

"I agree," Kenjiro said. "Regardless, this is too good an opportunity to pass up."

"Opportunity to do what, Kenjiro-sama?" Nagato asked.

"To infiltrate Kiri and gather as much information about its inner workings as we can." The old man smirked as he saw the looks of surprise on the four young shinobi's faces. "Which is why I'm assigning this mission to you. Kaji, you'll be reinstated to active duty–"

"But, Father–"

Kenjiro held up a hand to forestall his son's protests. "Your reassignment will be temporary. I need you to lead this mission, son."

"Why?" Kaji asked. "Do you want to see if the Mizukage will try to capture the current heir of the Uzumaki clan?"

"If I believed that Yagura would attempt such a thing, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now," Kenjiro stated firmly. "I want you to lead this mission because you're my best diplomat." The old man chuckled as his son stared at him dubiously. "You may not believe it, but it's true. When was the last time you failed a negotiation?"

"That doesn't make me skilled at diplomacy, Father," Kaji said with a sullen expression that made him look like he was once again six years old and on the wrong side of one of Kaito's pranks.

Kenjiro had to suppress a smile at the mental image. "Furthermore," the old man continued, choosing to ignore his son's grumbling, "if this really turns out to be some sort of trap, I trust you to get both yourself and the rest of your team out of Kiri alive and unharmed."

"But–" Kaji looked down and sighed in defeat. "I understand. When do we leave?"

"You and Konan will leave for Kiri as soon as the rest of your team is ready."

"Uh… Aren't we going with them, Kenjiro-sama?" Yahiko asked, pointing at himself and Nagato.

"I have a different assignment for the two of you." Kenjiro held out a scroll to the orange-haired jounin. "Akio's squad has gone missing."

"Akio…" Yahiko mumbled as he unrolled the scroll and skimmed through it. "Why is that name ringing a bell?"

"Isn't Hisa a part of his team?" Kaji asked.

Yahiko looked up from the scroll; his eyes were wide with shock.

"She is," Kenjiro confirmed. "They were supposed to report from Takigakure three days ago. The last message they sent was from Shimo, informing us that they had encountered no complications in their mission thus far. It could be just a false alarm," the old man said with more optimism than he was feeling. "Nevertheless, I want the two of you to investigate."

"What if they were attacked?" Nagato asked quietly.

Kenjiro understood what the Rinnegan bearer was truly asking. "If they were attacked, then I expect you and Yahiko to show the perpetrators what happens to those who harm any shinobi of Uzushio."

The two young men nodded grimly.

"Karin will keep staying with us for now," the old man continued, looking at his son. "I'll make sure that she and Naruto are kept too busy to dwell on her mother's absence any more than they normally would."

"Naruto will appreciate the extra training," Kaji said with a forced smile. "He'll find several ways to rope her into helping him."

"I'm counting on that," Kenjiro admitted, feeling ashamed that he had to use his grandson's eagerness for learning for such a purpose.

Hopefully, Yahiko and Nagato would send a message in a few days, informing him that they had found the missing squad loitering in the hot springs of Yugakure and he would never have to tell young Karin that she was an orphan now. But he didn't truly believe they would. There were rumors about shinobi gathering in the Land of Rice Paddies and a new Hidden Village being formed, although nobody knew who was behind all this or even with whom their allegiance lay.

And Akio's squad had been scheduled to pass straight through the contested land.

 **-XOXO-**

Naruto concentrated on the flow of his chakra, doing his best to ignore the world around. The seven-year-old boy pictured inside his mind the shape of the chains he was trying to create: silvery and deceptively feeble, but stronger than any metal. Taking a deep breath, he molded his chakra, trying to give shape to the image.

Slowly, a silvery chain materialized seemingly out of thin air.

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at it critically. It was less than a meter long and seemed ready to be blown apart by a mild breeze. It was a far cry from what his uncle could so effortlessly create.

The blond boy gave the chakra construct a dark look before letting it fade into nothing. He looked at the girl practicing across from him; Karin had already managed to create a chain, which was looking perfect.

"Karin?"

The red-haired girl didn't respond.

"Karin-nee-chan?"

One of the girl's eyebrows twitched, but she still didn't answer him.

"Karin-neeeee–"

The bespectacled girl opened her eyes and fixed him with a terrifying look. "WHAT, Naruto?"

The blond boy flinched and reconsidered the wisdom of his idea. If there was one thing he'd learned in his two years in Uzushio, it was that you should never _ever_ piss off an Uzumaki girl. "I was just wondering if you could help me with something..."

Karin narrowed her eyes even further. "And you couldn't wait a few minutes before asking for my help?"

"...No?" As soon as the word left his mouth, Naruto knew he had done a terrible mistake. He looked in fear at the fuming girl, wondering whether he should run away while he still could.

Grumbling under her breath about the stupidity of boys –especially of a certain blond one – Karin let the chain she had created disappear. "What do you want?"

"I still can't get it right." Naruto concentrated and formed his pathetic excuse for a chain once again. "See?"

"Yeah, it's terrible."

Naruto frowned at her cheerful tone.

"Did you try picturing it like Kaji-san taught us?"

"Of course I did," Naruto huffed indignantly. "I'm not stupid. But it still isn't working."

"Maybe you aren't concentrating enough on the image, then." Karin hummed thoughtfully. "Or maybe you need to focus your chakra better. Are you doing the chakra control exercises we've been taught?"

"Yeah, but I'm not making any progress."

"Well," the red-haired girl said with an encouraging smile, "just keep trying and you'll get it eventually!"

"Everyone keeps telling me that, but what if–" Naruto caught himself before he could give voice to his doubts.

"What if…?" Karin asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Nothing," the blond boy said with a smile he tried to make as bright as possible in order to throw her off track.

Unfortunately, Karin knew him better than that. "What's really bothering you, Naruto? Come on, you can tell me," she added when he didn't answer her question.

"What if I _don't_ get it?" Naruto looked at his clenched fists. ' _Everyone expects me to be great, like my mom and dad, but what if I'm not?_ '

Karin sighed and shook her head. "Stop worrying so much, you dummy. You're doing great."

"Wha–Why'd you call me that?" Naruto yelled, hurt by the girl's criticism.

"Because you can't see that you haven't broken so much as a sweat even though you've spent twice as much chakra as I did to create a chain!" Karin yelled back, stunning the blond boy into silence.

Naruto blinked at her and noticed that she was right. He was breathing evenly and wasn't feeling the least bit tired. In contrast, Karin seemed winded and there were visible beads of sweat on her face.

"You'll get it, Naruto," Karin added with a warm smile. "I know you will."

He smiled back at her, sincerely this time. "We both will."

After all, he wasn't one to give up just because something seemed impossible.

 **-XOXO-**

Tobi was surveying the scene in front of him with a mixture of contempt and cold fury on his face. It was a shame that this finely nuanced expression was hidden behind the mask he was constantly wearing.

His glare intensified as he turned his gaze to the man standing next to the grotesque display.

"Such cold looks you're giving me today, Madara." Orochimaru smiled innocently, like a snake about to devour a helpless rabbit. "I'm beginning to think you're planning to kill me."

Tobi scoffed, but did nothing else to dispute the snake's claim. He would have gotten rid of the former Sannin a long time ago if the man wasn't so useful.

"I thought you would be pleased to see my new prisoners." Orochimaru's creepy smile widened as he looked at the four people he had recently captured.

Two of them were already dead; Tobi didn't know whether they had been killed during the ambush or they had succumbed during one of the snake's twisted experiments. He considered them the lucky ones. The other two, a brown-haired man in his mid-forties and a red-haired woman in her early thirties were unconscious but still very much alive, despite their wounds. They were both hooked up in a wide assortments of strange machines whose purpose the rogue Uchiha neither knew nor wanted to find out. Orochimaru's experiments were depraved even by his standards.

"Should I be?" Tobi countered. "You ruined a plan that had been years in the making in order to get your hands on two unimportant jounin."

"I assure you, Madara, that they are far from 'unimportant'. Besides, even with Kisame and Yagura-kun helping you, you still wouldn't have been able to defeat Nagato-kun before his friends joined the fight to aid him."

Tobi narrowed his eye; how had the snake found out about his plan? No-one in the Akatsuki but Kisame, who was both fiercely loyal to him and extremely distrustful of Orochimaru, knew about Tobi's intention to use the vessel of the Three-Tailed Turtle to kill Nagato. He had spent almost two years laying the trap for the Rinnegan thief, carefully manipulating Yagura into feigning interest in an alliance with the Whirlpool, only to watch everything go up in flames after the snake's ill-timed attack. A course of action which was in no way consistent with Orochimaru's usual MO, now that Tobi thought about it, since it left the snake exposed to retaliation from the Uzumaki clan.

And how did the snake know about Tobi's hold over the Mizukage in the first place?

"But I can help you acquire those marvelous eyes of his." The way the snake was talking about the Rinnegan surprised the rogue Uchiha. From a normal person, the tone could be considered almost reverential.

"How?" The masked leader of the Akatsuki nodded towards the two unfortunate test subjects. "With these two?"

"Of course. Allow me to introduce them to you, Madara. This one is Takashio Akio, one of the foremost genjutsu specialists of Uzushio. His mind holds information about the Whirlpool's defense network, in addition to all those delightful secret genjutsu of his clan."

That managed to pique Tobi's interest. "He knows how to bypass the barriers around the island?"

"Perhaps, but he's proving to be quite stubborn, despite my best efforts. It will be a pleasure to break a mind as finely-honed as his." The snake turned his attention to the woman. "And this one is Uzumaki Hisa. She possesses the unique ability to heal someone simply by infusing them with her chakra. She has no need for medical ninjutsu or even hand seals; just her life-giving Uzumaki chakra. Tsunade spent years trying to replicate this skill but, alas, she failed."

Beneath his mask, Tobi raised an intrigued eyebrow; perhaps he had been too hasty to condemn the snake. The woman's healing abilities sounded remarkably similar to those that had been granted to him by the prosthetics made from the First Hokage's DNA.

"But you believe you can succeed."

"I don't have Tsunade-hime's moral inhibitions," Orochimaru rather unnecessarily reminded him.

Tobi studied the woman's face closely. She was about a decade older than him but looked much younger than that, thanks to her Uzumaki heritage. With her long red hair and fair skin, she reminded him of Kushina. He had spent most of his genin days arguing with her over unimportant matters, but he still remembered her fondly. Her and Minato-sensei... He might have failed when it really mattered, but he didn't have to die. If he had just taken the baby away and stayed out of the fray, as Tobi had intended him to do, he would still be the Hokage.

He pointed at the brown-haired man. "Break him first. I need to know if there's a way inside the Whirlpool. I don't care about the methods you'll use; just get it done," he ordered the snake.

He had gone too far to allow himself to be stopped by foolish sentimentalities. Without Nagato's Rinnegan, the _Eye of the Moon_ would never become a reality. All his struggles, all these deaths would be meaningless. He would never see _her_ again.

"As you wish, Madara."

Tobi used his _Kamui_ to leave the snake to his devices. He didn't want to be here when former Sannin started his next twisted experiment. He would return in a couple of days to check on the snake's progress; he knew better than to blindly trust someone as treacherous as Orochimaru.

The last thing Tobi saw before the room faded away was a cascade of red hair.

 **-XOXO-**

The sound of voices coming from the other side of the heavy, bolted door barring his prison startled the boy out of his trance-like state. He wasn't exactly sleeping, but he wasn't fully awake either. He just... was.

Before long, he heard a key turning and the door was pushed open by someone. The boy didn't know who that was; all the saw before he had to cover his eyes in order to protect them from the light of the corridor outside was the silhouette of another person. It must have been one of his minders.

Was it time to eat already? He didn't think so, but he could be mistaken. The only measure of time he had down here was the interim between meals.

The man –the boy could tell it was a man from his heavy footsteps – approached his cage and unlocked the door.

"Get up, Kimimaro," the man said, opening the door wide for him. "It's time for you to prove yourself. Do well, and we might consider letting you stay out."

The boy stood up and walked up to the man somewhat awkwardly. It had been a long time since he had been allowed to get out of his cage. When he reached the dim –but still too bright for his eyes – light cast by the torches in the corridor, the man took a couple of steps back. The sight of the boy's white hair, pale skin from years of living in the darkness of this cell, and dull, emotionless eyes, was unnerving. And that was before one took into account the boy's almost uncanny aptitude for the Kaguya clan's kekkei genkai.

"Who do you want me to fight?" the boy asked, his voice raspy from being unused for so long. There was no other reason they would let him out.

" _Kill_ , not fight." The man turned around and walked outside the cell; the boy followed him closely, not wanting to give him an excuse to leave him behind. "Anyone you come across and is affiliated with Kiri. It's time we reminded them why the Kaguya are to be feared."

The boy nodded in agreement, even though he didn't care about why he was asked to kill people he had never met before. As long as that got him out of his prison, he was willing to do anything.

 **-XOXO-**

Kaji closed the door of the sitting room that had been offered to the delegation from Uzushio by the Mizukage, marched across it, and collapsed on a chair.

"Please tell me you have all the information Father asked you to find and we are free to leave this place," he almost begged the blue-haired woman sitting behind the only desk in the room. "I don't think I can take much more of the Mizukage's 'hospitality'."

It had been nearly two weeks since the delegation from Uzushio had arrived in Kiri, and they had been 'encouraged' to spend most of that time in the luxurious hotel the Mizukage had provided for them. Naturally, by the end of the first week the shinobi of the Whirlpool had reached the end of their patience. If Konan hadn't been able to sneak in and out of the hotel with relative ease, Kaji would have considered this mission a complete and utter failure.

"I think I do," Konan said without looking up from the scroll she was reading.

Kaji frowned at her. "But?"

The blue-haired woman lifted her gaze. "But there's one more lead I'd like to pursue before we leave Kiri."

"Of course there is," Kaji mumbled under his breath.

"There are several contradictory reports about the Mist's state of affairs," Konan continued, not paying any mind to his grumbling. "I can't tell if everything is running as smoothly as our chaperons are telling us it is or if they're on the verge of a civil war. Then, there are the rumors about Kiri's new training regime..."

Kaji had heard the rumors, too; they all had. "You think there's any truth behind them?"

"I hope not," Konan replied, "but Kiri is almost as secretive as Ame. We've never had much information out of the Land of Water."

"So you _do_ think they're true." Children killing children in order to graduate from the Academy and become shinobi. The mere thought of it was enough to make Kaji's stomach churn. What kind of sick individual could think of a system like that and call it 'progress'?

"I believe that there are more detailed records about Kiri's inner workings in the ANBU headquarters, but getting inside has proven to be something of a problem."

The dark-haired man blinked at her, wondering briefly if her prolonged contact with first Yahiko and then Naruto had finally taught her the appeal of practical jokes. "You do know that if you're caught inside the headquarters of Kiri's ANBU it'll mean war, right?"

"I am aware of it, yes," Konan said calmly, without any change in her serene expression.

' _Looks like she's dead serious about this.'_ Kaji shook his head in disbelief; since when was _she_ the reckless one and _he_ the voice of reason? "What exactly are you hoping to find in there that we can't get from another, less dangerous place in Kiri?"

"Information on Yagura. There's something very odd about him, Kaji. It's like..." Konan paused and frowned slightly as she tried to find a way to explain what was troubling her. "...It's like he's two different people. First, he invites a delegation from Uzushio here to discuss the possibility of reopening trade routes. Then, the moment we arrive he has us confined to this hotel and refuses to speak with any of us."

That was something that had been bothering Kaji as well for the duration of their stay in Kiri. If Yagura had no intention to negotiate with the shinobi of Uzushio, then why had he contacted Kenjiro?

"His behavior is indeed odd." The dark-haired man sighed and rubbed his forehead; it seemed that they had little choice if they wanted to get to the bottom of this. "So, what do you need me to do? Create a distraction for you or sneak inside myself?"

"Both, actually." Konan rolled up the scroll she had been reading and placed in on top of the pile she had created on her desk. "Distracting the ANBU on patrol will require both our skills. And I'll need your help to bypass any traps they might have set up to protect their archives."

"Alright," Kaji said. "Hopefully, we won't offend our host by getting ourselves caught red-handed."

"Hopefully," Konan agreed with the hint of a smirk.

 **-XOXO-**

Kimimaro examined the two people who had just walked past him, careful not to draw their attention.

The black-haired man and the blue-haired woman weren't wearing a hitai-ate with the crest of Kirigakure and their dark clothes didn't have any distinctive markings on them. Nevertheless, they were shinobi. He could tell from the way they were keeping to the shadows, their almost inaudible footsteps, and the sword strapped across the man's back. And unlike the masked man with the huge sword and the young boy he had encountered earlier, these two were heading deeper into Kiri, not away from it.

That made them his targets.

Kimimaro tightened his grip on the bone he had created in place of a kunai. The man would have to die first; the boy didn't want to give him a chance to use that sword. A hit at the back of his neck should be enough. Then, it would be the woman's turn.

He left his hiding place and started running towards the two ninja as quietly as he could. He focused his chakra and lunged at the black-haired man, raising his weapon to strike–

– Only to be slammed against the wall to the side hard enough to drive the air out of his lungs. Struggling to regain his breath, he discovered that he was wrapped tightly by silvery chains that seemed to be coming out of the man's body. More than a dozen shuriken made out of _paper_ , for some reason he couldn't fathom, were a couple of centimeters away from his face, frozen in place.

"A boy?" The blue-haired woman asked, disbelief evident in her voice.

The man set Kimimaro on the ground again and loosened the chains a bit, though not enough for the boy to wiggle his way out of them. "What do you think you're doing, kid?"

Kimimaro didn't answer.

The black-haired man frowned, although he didn't tighten the restraints again. "Why did you attack us?"

Kimimaro remained silent.

The sounds of weapons clashing came from somewhere nearby, along with battle cries. ' _The other Kaguya._ ' If he called out to them, then they'd surely come to help him. …And then they'd lock him away in that cage again for failing to kill even one shinobi of Kiri.

Kimimaro kept his mouth firmly shut.

"We can't stay here," the blue-haired woman said, looking worriedly towards the sounds of battle. "If they catch us outside the hotel..."

"I know," the man replied, following her gaze. "We have to go back."

"What about him?" The woman asked, pointing towards Kimimaro.

The man looked between the chained-up boy and the direction the clanging of metal was coming from; judging by the noise, the battle seemed to be getting closer. "He's coming with us; he's seen our faces. Besides, I want to know who sent him after us."

"As do I," the woman said.

The silvery chains unwrapped themselves from Kimimaro and retreated into the man's body. Before the boy could think about running, however, the woman raised her hand and several small pieces of paper covered his wrists, binding his hands together.

"I'll keep an eye out for pursuers," the woman said before dissolving into small square pieces of paper, much to Kimimaro's surprise.

"Come on," the black-haired man said, grabbing the boy's shoulder and urging him to move. "You can still run, can't you?"

Kimimaro, still trying to understand how a person could turn into hundreds of pieces of paper, closed his mouth and nodded.

He didn't look back as they left the battle behind them.

 **-XOXO-**

Kimimaro cautiously accepted the cup the woman was holding out to him. It was filled with something that looked like brownish water but smelled like flowers. He wondered if he should take a sip out of the strange liquid, but the way the cup was burning his hands made him decide against it. He shifted his grip on it to make holding it tolerable.

The cup's warmth against his hands helped him relax enough to start noticing details about the room he was in. The couch he was sitting on was infinitely more comfortable than the dirt floor of his cell, and he could spend hours examining the flowers in the numerous vases scattered around the room and the paintings hanging on the walls.

Was that how normal people lived?

"Now then," the black-haired man began as he sat on one of the chairs, "how about we start with introductions?"

Kimimaro stopped staring around the opulent room he had found himself in and looked between the man and the woman; both of them were looking at him expectantly.

"Fine," the man sighed, "I'll start. My name is Uzumaki Kaji. This," he nodded towards the blue-haired woman, "is Konan. And you are...?"

Kimimaro looked between them once again. "I'm Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan."

" _Finally_ ," Kaji mumbled under his breath, before frowning in confusion. "Kaguya... Correct me if I'm wrong, Kimimaro, but I thought that people with kekkei genkai were _avoiding_ Kiri."

Kimimaro shrugged; he really didn't know anything about that.

"Why did you attack us, Kimimaro?" One of Kaji's eyebrows twitched as the boy remained silent, but he didn't raise his voice or make any threatening gestures. "Were you acting under orders from the Mizukage?"

"No."

"Then who ordered you to attack us?"

"I wasn't ordered to attack you."

Kaji's eyebrow twitched again. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Kimimaro blinked in surprise. "Doing what on purpose?"

"Were you ordered to attack someone _else_ , Kimimaro?" Konan asked, examining him through slightly narrowed eyes.

Kimimaro nodded. "Anyone I came across that was affiliated with Kiri."

"Why?" Konan and Kaji asked at the same time.

"I was told that it was time for the Kaguya clan to be feared again," Kimimaro said, repeating what his minder had told him.

The two adults exchanged a puzzled look with each other.

"Have the Kaguya turned against the Hidden Mist?" Kaji asked.

"That would explain the battle we heard earlier," Konan replied. "But they can't be foolish enough to believe they can kill everyone in Kiri by themselves."

"You're assuming that those bloodthirsty idiots actually _thought_ about this before they charged in with their weapons drawn," Kaji scoffed. "No offense," he added, looking at Kimimaro.

The white-haired boy shrugged again; he wasn't offended. Now that he had seen how large Kiri was compared to the Kaguya clan's compound, he was beginning to agree with Kaji. His clansmen hadn't thought beyond the 'kill everyone you meet' part.

Someone knocked on the door, startling the two adults and the child.

"Enter."

"Kaji-sama, the–" The red-haired man who had just walked into the room paused for a moment as his eyes fell on Kimimaro, but quickly composed himself. "The battle is over."

"What happened?"

"The shinobi of the Mist won, sir. The attackers are all..." The man glanced at the white-haired boy again, before averting his eyes.

"I see." Kaji stood up. "Daichi, gather the others and tell them to pack up their belongings and be ready to leave in twenty minutes."

"If we leave without first offering an excuse for our hasty departure, along with our most heartfelt condolences for those who were wounded or killed during this unfortunate incident, the Mizukage will take offense," Konan warned the black-haired man.

"If we wait that long, we might have to fight an army of Kiri shinobi on our way out," Kaji countered. "I'm not willing to take that chance. We leave now."

"Understood, sir. I'll go tell the others," Daichi said and left the room again.

Konan didn't say anything; she simply nodded and walked towards a pile of scrolls on the desk. She took a scroll out of her belt holster, unrolled it on the desk's surface, and started placing the other scrolls over the markings drawn on unfurled one. She formed a hand seal, making the smaller ones placed on the black markings vanish with a puff of smoke. She unrolled it further and repeated the process.

Kaji turned his attention back to the boy. "Kimimaro, could you wait here while I pack my belongings? I won't take long."

The boy wouldn't mind spending hours studying everything inside the room in greater detail. Unfortunately, he had more pressing concerns than that at the moment. "What are you going to do with me?"

Kimimaro didn't want to ever go back to the Kaguya clan's compound. If that was Kaji's intention, then he needed to know right now, while there was still time to run away from his captors.

"Do you have any relatives left, Kimimaro?" Kaji asked instead of answering the boy's question. "Anyone at all?"

Kimimaro shook his head; every Kaguya had joined the attack on Kiri.

"Then there's nothing for you here. Besides," the black-haired man added solemnly, "I get the feeling that you wouldn't want to return to your clan anyway."

"No," Kimimaro admitted.

"I thought so. It's your eyes," Kaji explained as Kimimaro stared at him quizzically. "They remind me of a boy I met two years ago." The black-haired man shook his head slightly. "Anyway, you're welcome to come with us to Uzushio and, if you want, to stay there. If you don't want to stay, that's fine too. I can arrange passage for you to another village – somewhere you won't be killed just for being born with a kekkei genkai."

Kimimaro blinked and stared at Kaji for a long time; no-one had ever given him a choice before. "You're not afraid of the _Shikotsumyaku_?"

"Why would I be?" Kaji asked lightly. "It's just a kekkei genkai. Granted, it's a bit more... _unsettling_ than most, but that's no reason to be terrified by it. You won't try to kill me with it again, will you?"

"I won't." It was a promise Kimimaro intended to keep.

"Good to know," Kaji said with a crooked grin. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go pack my bags. We have about fifteen minutes left before we have to start running back to our ship."

Kimimaro nodded in agreement. He liked the 'we' and 'our'. They made him feel like he belonged with these people, despite having just met them and even attempted to kill two of them.

A couple of minutes after Kaji left the room, Konan rolled up her scroll; it was the only one still remaining on the desk. With a small nod to Kimimaro, she left the room as well.

Finding himself alone, Kimimaro stood up from the couch and walked towards one of the vases to examine the white flowers it held.

 **-XOXO-**

Kakashi scanned his surroundings once again, even though he had already made sure that there was no-one around. When one was dealing with someone as... tenacious… as Shimura Danzou, it paid to be overly cautious. The alternative was being dead.

Reassured that he was alone, he removed the little wooden box that had been buried in this spot more than two years ago, carefully closed the hole he had dug, and once again covered the patch of dirt with a medium-sized rock that was entirely indistinguishable from the ones around it.

Knowing that carrying the box all the way back to his apartment would be about as prudent as running around Konoha with the Uzumaki crest painted on his clothes, Kakashi sat on the ground and examined his find. It would have been a rather unremarkable box if not for the intricate seal on its lid.

' _And he has the nerve to call_ me _paranoid,_ ' the young man scoffed inwardly as he disarmed the trap.

He opened the lid and saw a piece of paper and, underneath it, a small velvet pouch.

 _Kakashi,_ the letter begun,

 _There is little time before we have to leave Konoha, so I'll be brief._

 _Father and I thank you. For everything. If not for you, then we wouldn't have gotten this far so soon –or without bloodshed._

 _Inside the box is something we both wish you to have. I know what you'll say: you don't want anything in return for your help. Nevertheless, I truly hope you'll accept this small token of our gratitude._

Curious, Kakashi removed the pouch from inside the box and opened it. He stared at the pendant resting on his palm for a long time before gasping in wonder as his mind finally processed what his eye was seeing.

 _Seeing as you weren't in Uzushio in order to properly attune it to you, Father and I had to improvise based on my memory of your chakra signature, but I think we managed to get the seals right._

Kakashi stared again at the pale green crystal he was holding in his palm. Chakra crystals were extremely rare outside the Whirlpool. Giving one to Senju Hashirama had been a sign of respect from the leaders of Uzushiogakure to the Shodai Hokage after the alliance between the two villages had been sealed. Giving one such crystal to him was…

The young man shook his head, equal parts bewildered and awed by this unexpected gift. Until a few minutes ago, he had dismissed Jiraiya's claims that the Uzumaki would listen to him as wistful thinking – at best.

 _Anyway, I should wrap this up. Nagato tells me that he senses Father and the others coming back here. Hopefully, no-one will be foolish enough to try to prevent us from leaving._

 _Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope it will be a long time before we see each other again – and when we do, that it won't be on the opposite sides of a battlefield._

 _Take care, my friend._

Kakashi smiled upon reading Kaji's words, although his expression quickly turned somber as he looked at the pendant again.

There was no way he could go around wearing this openly around his neck. No amount of fast-talking or evasive answers could explain how Hatake Kakashi, a talented but otherwise unremarkable shinobi of Konoha, had come to possess such a rare and precious gem. To his knowledge, the only person outside Uzushio who owned a pendant like that was Senju Tsunade. And even she, who was considered to be the best medical ninja alive _and_ was related by blood to the Uzumaki clan, hadn't been offered one of her own; she had inherited hers from her grandfather, the First Hokage. So he couldn't possibly accept it.

But turning it down was just as unthinkable. Monetary value aside – not that he would ever even _consider_ selling it – this pendant was priceless. Truly, Kaji and Kenjiro couldn't have offered him a more valuable gift.

' _Perhaps if I wear it under my shirt… Or maybe I could hide it in my apartment._ '

No, the apartment was a no-go. He was away from it too much; Danzou's people could sift through it any time he was away on a mission. Keeping it on him at all times, however… Somehow, he doubted that 'seeing Hatake Kakashi shirtless' was among the old war-hawk's top priorities. Unless he blundered and showed the pendant to someone, it would be safe with him.

Kakashi lowered his mask and place the pendant around his neck. With the mask back in place, there was no danger of it slipping out of his collar.

Satisfied with the solution to his current quandary, he burned the letter and the small box with a quick burst of flame; his relative inexperience with changing chakra nature to fire made the task more difficult than it should have been. He then made his way to his apartment back in Konoha, deep in thought.

' _I have to remember to thank them for the gift._ ' Hopefully, that would make up for the favor he had to ask of them.

 **-XOXO-**

Itachi landed lightly on the clearing he and Shisui often met when they had something to discuss that they didn't want anyone else to know. This was a place they were free to act their age, instead of the prodigious heir of the Uchiha clan and the unrivalled master of the illusionary arts, respectively.

This was also the place they had formed their plan to betray their clan in order to spare the Hidden Leaf from a civil war.

The thirteen-year-old boy froze at the sight of his friend sprawled on the ground. Shisui's limbs were bent in a way that seemed unnatural, as if someone had tossed him down and he hadn't attempted to move since then. His face was turned towards the river. And his chest wasn't moving.

Cautiously, Itachi approached his friend.

He clenched his hands into fists and fought back a wave of nausea as he finally saw Shisui's face. It was contorted in a grimace of pain, with tears of blood running down his cheeks and empty holes where his eyes should have been.

Itachi knelt next to his best friend and placed his hand on the other boy's throat, searching for a pulse he knew he wasn't going to find.

He withdrew his hand a few moments later. Shisui's body was still warm. If only he had gotten here earlier…

The young boy hung his head in anguish. He pressed his lips together to muffle his sobs, but made no attempt to wipe the tears off his face. It would be futile, anyway; he couldn't stop them. He hadn't cried like this in years, not since he had seen a battlefield for the first time.

A strange, burning sensation made his eyes sting, but he pushed it out of his mind.

Shisui was like a brother to him. His jovial personality and easy smiles made him something of an oddity among the dour Uchiha, especially compared to Itachi himself, but the two boys had somehow become the best of friends. Perhaps it was because both of them had been singled out from a young age and pushed to excel in a clan where mediocrity was tantamount to failure. Or perhaps it was because each boy had seen something of himself in the other: the desire to protect their village, even if that meant going against the wishes of their clan.

There was no other way now. With Shisui… gone… there was no way to resolve this peacefully. Itachi had no means of making the Uchiha elders see reason and abandon their foolish plan before their pride and arrogance plunged Konoha in a civil war. He had seen what battlefields looked like; he was never going to allow Konoha to become one. The elders had to die. Even his father. Even his mother.

No, _especially_ his father. He was the one who had incited the others.

The burning sensation intensified, but Itachi ignored it.

Without Shisui, he would have to do this alone. There was no-one else he could – or _would_ – ask for help. He _had_ to do this alone. There was no other way.

But maybe… Maybe he could bargain with the Hokage. Konoha was facing threats from everywhere around them. The Uchiha were needed; that much was undeniable. He knew that he would not be allowed to spare the adults who had already activated the Sharingan. But maybe he could bargain for the lives of the children – for his brother's life. No matter what happened, Itachi would never harm his little brother.

Itachi opened his eyes. Unseen to him, his Sharingan didn't have the three tomoe pattern anymore. A black shape resembling a three-pronged shuriken extended over the red iris.

 **-XOXO-**

"Did you encounter any other complications on your way back, Kaji?"

"Just the handful of shinobi the Mizukage had posted to guard our ship, Father. We left them bound on the pier, alive but in a lot of pain."

Kenjiro raised a perplexed eyebrow; his son wasn't prone to such acts of unnecessary violence. "This sounds a little excessive, son."

"They called Kimimaro a 'freak', so I didn't feel like going easy on them," Kaji explained with a nonchalant shrug.

The old man nodded in understanding and lightly tapped the surface of his desk with his fingertips as he studied the pale-skinned boy in question.

The wisest course of action would be to send Kimimaro back to the Hidden Mist, along with reassurances that the Uzumaki clan had not kidnapped the boy in order to acquire one of the Land of Water's oldest and most feared bloodline limits. Were it any other Hidden Village, Kenjiro would have seriously considered it, despite the boy's obvious reluctance to return to his homeland. Taking recent events into account, however, the old man didn't believe that Kimimaro was likely to survive long in the Mist.

' _To hell with diplomacy._ ' He wasn't about the send a boy barely older than his grandson to be executed.

"Konan, could you please escort Kimimaro to the marketplace?" Kenjiro asked the young woman. Ideally, he would have his son or Kaede handle this, but their housekeeper had taken a short leave of absence and he needed to talk to Kaji in private. "Tell the shopkeepers that I will take care of the expenses."

"Of course, Kenjiro-sama," Konan replied with a polite bow of her head; Kenjiro noticed that the corners of her mouth were lifted in a small smile.

"What expenses?" Kimimaro asked.

"Those necessary in order to replenish your wardrobe," Kenjiro explained. "I assume that you don't have anything that belongs to you other than the clothes on your back."

Kimimaro shook his head slowly, staring at the old man as if he were trying to work out a particularly difficult puzzle.

"Since my son was the one who brought you here," Kenjiro said with a sidelong glance to Kaji, "you'll be staying with us."

There were no orphanages in Uzushio. Parentless children were either taken in by their relatives or placed as wards to one of the four great clans if they didn't have any living family members. The practice was a remnant from the era of Warring Clans, one of the few that had not yet been abolished in Uzushio, even though most other villages had abandoned it decades ago out of practical reasons. Then again, the Whirlpool was a relatively small village and most families here were wealthy enough to support a few more children.

"Konan will introduce you to my grandson, Naruto, and Karin, a girl that will also be living with us from now on."

"She will?" Kaji asked, sharing a look with Konan. "Then…."

"I'm afraid so," Kenjiro said solemnly.

"Let's go, Kimimaro; we have a lot to do." Konan said, placing a hand on the white-haired boy's shoulder; her thoughtfulness had always impressed Kenjiro.

The boy nodded and followed her obediently outside the Uzumaki clan Head's office.

"How did they die?" Kaji asked as soon as Konan closed the door behind her.

"Nagato and Yahiko found the remains of a battle. They were attacked by someone – or something."

"What do you mean 'something', Father?"

Kenjiro retrieved the two jounin's report from one of his desk's drawers. "Whoever attacked Akio's squad didn't trouble himself with covering his tracks. Yahiko thinks that some of them look like they were made by a giant snake's coils."

"A snake…." Kaji's eyes narrowed. "Orochimaru?"

"That was my first impression as well," the old man said. "Except that it's too overt for him. Orochimaru prefers to work from the shadows."

"Then who else could it be?"

"I don't know," Kenjiro admitted reluctantly. "But I'm not dismissing that traitor of a Sannin so easily. He's audacious enough to believe he can get away with kidnapping and–"

" _Kidnapping_?"

"There were no bodies – or graves – at the scene," Kenjiro informed his son. "Just wreckage from the battle and a lot of blood."

"I see…" Kaji glanced at the report resting on the old man's desk. "When will you tell Karin?"

"As soon as Nagato and Yahiko return."

Kaji didn't argue; he just nodded his agreement with the decision. He seemed to be no more eager than Kenjiro to share the news with the poor girl.

"There's something else I wanted to talk with you about, son." Kenjiro removed a small scroll from one of his shirt's pockets and held it out. "This came for you a couple of weeks ago. The dog carrying it – Pakkun, I believe – was reluctant to part with it until I pointed out to him that a spy would be more likely to steal it from him than me."

It occurred to the old man the message's timing couldn't have been more fortunate. This way, both he and his son had something to distract themselves from their previous conversation. Assuming, of course, that Kakashi's message wasn't bearing _more_ grim news.

"What was that idiot thinking, sending that thing here with one of his dogs?" Kaji asked irritably as he took the offered scroll. "Does he _want_ to get arrested and executed?"

"I wouldn't presume to know Kakashi's intentions," Kenjiro said, earning himself an unamused scowl from his son. "But pugs are common enough that a smallish one with no collar or other evidence of ownership can pass unnoticed. Provided he keeps his mouth shut."

Something that had proven an almost impossible task, much to the red-haired Uzumaki's consternation. The little dog was always eager to share some of his stories with Naruto and Karin.

Kaji shook his head, muttering something about idiots; Kenjiro was willing to give his son the benefit of the doubt and assume he was grumbling about Kakashi. He then opened the scroll and started reading the message.

"How is Kakashi?" Kenjiro asked after a few minutes; more than enough time for his son to carefully process the contents of the letter.

"He say he's fine," Kaji replied with his brow slightly furrowed in concern. "He also says that Jiraiya-sama figured out that he was the one who helped us."

Kenjiro sat straighter in his chair. "Does Kakashi need our help to get out of Konoha?"

"No, that won't be necessary. Apparently, Jiraiya-sama has no intention of telling anyone else. He just wants Kakashi to arrange a meeting between him and you." Kaji lifted his eyes from the letter and smirked. "The Hokage has made his move, just as you said he would, Father." The young man's smirk faded. "Although Kakashi's involvement complicates matters."

"Indeed." The old man drummed his fingers on his desk, trying to organize his thoughts. "I wasn't expecting Sarutobi to send Jiraiya. I thought he would ask Tsunade to negotiate with us; why else would he have put up with her belligerent behavior these past two years?"

"I don't know, Father." Kaji rolled up the scroll and studied it for a few moments. "What should I reply?"

"Hmm?" Kenjiro fingers stopped moving; his son's question drew his thoughts back to more practical matters instead of trying to deduce the reasons behind Sarutobi's choice of ambassador. "Oh. Tell Kakashi that Jiraiya is welcome in the Whirlpool."

"Are you planning to kill him?"

"Of course not," Kenjiro said indignantly. "No harm will come to him for as long as he's in possession of the key to Naruto's seal. Provided he didn't lie about that too, of course."

"What if he tries to take Naruto back to the Leaf?"

"Then neither the key nor the respect Minato had for him will be enough to save him."

Kaji nodded grimly; his eyes were cold, determined. Then, his expression softened. "I'd better go write my reply. Then I have to figure out a way to send it to Konoha…"

"Just ask Pakkun to carry it back."

Kaji froze with the small scroll held centimeters away from one of his coat pockets. "Kakashi's dog is still _here_?"

"Yes." Kenjiro chuckled at his son's dumbfounded expression. "He refused to leave until he got a reply. He's probably talking Naruto and Karin's ears off right now."

"I have to go find that dog," Kaji muttered under his breath. "If you'll excuse me, Father."

"Of course," Kenjiro said with a small nod.

Kaji left the office with the haste of a man who has just been informed that his house is on fire.

Kenjiro chuckled again, although his mirth quickly evaporated as his eyes fell on Nagato and Yahiko's report. So many things had happened in the span of just a few weeks.

The world seemed to be moving faster recently – far too fast for an old man like him. ' _Perhaps it's time for me to retire_.'

 **-XOXO-**

Uchiha Mikoto didn't scream as her husband was cut down by their eldest son. She didn't flinch as his body fell on the floor next to her. She didn't turn around to look at the boy whose shaking hands were holding the sword that had killed Fugaku.

She kept her composure, staring straight ahead but not really seeing anything. Her full focus was on the sound of her son's ragged breaths.

"Finish this, Itachi," she urged her son.

"…Mother…"

She felt her heart break at the word; when was the last time she had heard Itachi cry? "Don't hesitate. This is the path you've chosen. You must see it through to the end."

"You don't have to die, Mother."

Mikoto remained silent; she wasn't going to beg for her life, not when it might mean death for both her sons.

"You didn't agree with Father's plan."

"But I didn't speak against it."

"Neither did I."

"You _acted_ against it. I didn't." Even if she lived to be a thousand years old, Mikoto would never be able to forgive herself for remaining the dutiful wife when she should have stood up to her husband.

In a way, her death would be her punishment for letting down her family and her clan.

"You can act now," Itachi almost pleaded. "You can take Father's place as the head of the Uchiha clan and fix his mistakes."

"I possess the Sharingan, my son. The elders would never let me live."

Itachi's silence was more than enough of an answer.

Steeling herself, she went on. "Promise me you'll take care of Sasuke."

"You don't have to–"

"He's blameless in all this."

"I can save you!"

Itachi's vehement protestation gave her pause; she didn't remember ever hearing him so agitated before. "How?"

Mikoto heard her son taking a deep breath, as if to steady himself. "I will have to wound you. When the ANBU come to investigate, they will take you to the hospital."

"Unless the wound is life-threatening, the elders will know you spared me, my son."

Itachi took another deep, shuddering breath. "Tsunade-sama can heal you. She's the best medical ninja alive. She _will_ heal you, Mother."

Mikoto didn't respond. _If_ she was taken to the hospital in time, _if_ Tsunade was the one trying to heal her, and _if_ the elders didn't arrange for her to suffer 'complications' due to her wounds while she was recovering, then she would live – and they wouldn't be able to accuse Itachi of reneging on his task. Her son's plan was a desperate one, relying on chance rather than the careful, calculated reasoning that defined Itachi's every action.

It showed just how much her son wanted her to live.

"Will Sasuke be safe?"

"Yes. They will not harm him, Mother. I made sure of that."

Mikoto didn't ask what kind of deal Itachi had made with the elders; his assurance was all she needed.

"No matter what happens, Itachi, I want you to know that I'm proud of you."

"…Thank you, Mother." Mikoto pretended not to hear the tears in his voice.

She heard the sound of the sword as it was raised again, poised to strike at her. She felt the pain as it struck her, but she didn't cry out, biting her lips to prevent any sound from escaping her.

 _'I will see you again, my son.'_

 **-XOXO-**

Naruto knocked on the frame of the study's door.

"Come in," his uncle called in a slightly unfocused way that let the boy know he was busy with something.

"Am I bothering you, Uncle?"

"No, no." Kaji beckoned him closer and pointed to one of the chairs in front of the desk. "I was about to start looking for you, actually."

Naruto's mind went racing as he sat on the offered chair; he hadn't pulled any pranks recently, had he? "Am I in trouble?"

"Not as far as I know," his uncle said. "I just wanted to ask your opinion on something. I received a letter recently from a friend in Konoha–"

"The one who helped you two years ago? Pakkun's master?" Naruto had been wondering about the strange little dog who had appeared in his home a couple of weeks ago; he had never seen another one like him before.

"Yes." His uncle gave him a stern look that clearly said 'listen to me for a moment without interrupting'. "As I was saying," Kaji continued, "I received a letter and, long story short, your godfather wants to meet you, kid."

Naruto blinked. "My godfather?"

"Jiraiya of the Sannin," his uncle explained. "Kushina and Minato named you after the hero of one of his books. _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_. Remind me to lend it to you someday; I think you'll like it."

Naruto grinned; it was good to know that his parents thought he'd grow up to be an utterly gutsy shinobi. His grin faded, however, when he fully processed what his uncle had just told him.

His godfather was alive. And he had waited until now to meet him. "Did he know about me?"

"He did." Kaji looked at him warily. "It was his account of… of the night you were born that convinced Father not to head to the Leaf after your parents died."

Naruto clenched his fists and glared at the desk.

So his godfather was no good after all. He was just like the Hokage. He knew about Naruto's family, yet had done nothing.

No, that wasn't true. He had done much to keep him away from his family. He had condemned the boy to a miserable life in the Leaf, just like the Hokage had. They had probably been working together all along. And unlike the old man, he hadn't even had the decency to at least _try_ to make things better. He had been absent all his life and waited until Naruto was safe and happy in the Whirlpool before asking to meet.

Naruto took a deep breath; then, another. He slowly unclenched his fists and tried to look at the matter from another perspective, like his grandfather had taught him.

His godfather's guilt wasn't in question – it was beyond certain.

' _But Uncle wouldn't have asked me for my opinion if he thought this Jiraiya guy was untrustworthy; he would have just told him to get lost._ ' The more Naruto thought about it, the more certain he became.

Then, it hit him. The reason this conversation was happening in the first place. _'The letter from Uncle's friend_.'

"Is Jiraiya like your friend, Uncle?" Naruto didn't know the name of the man who had helped his family get him out of Konoha; his uncle said that it was best if he didn't know it until he was old enough to not accidentally reveal it to anyone. "Was he forced to obey orders and stay away from me?"

"I'll be honest with you, kid," his uncle said, visibly relaxing in his chair. "I don't know. Two years ago, Father and I were more interested in getting you out of Konoha than in looking for more like-minded individuals among their ranks."

"But you think it's possible," Naruto insisted.

"Minato thought of Jiraiya-sama like a father and I've seen enough to know that the feeling was mutual," Kaji replied. "So, yes, it's possible."

"Should I…" Naruto began. "If my dad thought so highly of him, then I should talk to him, shouldn't I?"

"It's up to you, kid."

"I'll talk to him," the blond said with a decisive nod. "And if I don't like him, then I'll…" At this point, his confidence evaporated. He had heard about the Sannin; he wouldn't be able to do anything against one of them.

"If you don't like him, then you won't have to see him again." Kaji grinned. "One of the benefits of living on an island."

Naruto grinned back; it was nice to know that he wouldn't have to put up with his godfather if he turned out to be unpleasant.

"I'm glad we got this out of the way," his uncle said. "Now, was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Uh-huh," Naruto nodded; he had almost forgotten why he'd come here. "Can I show Kimimaro around the village?"

"Of course you can. Just remember that the inside of the Noh Mask Hall is off-limits."

Naruto's shoulders dropped; so much for seeing the masks up close again.

Kaji chuckled and shook his head. "Got you, didn't I?"

"How did you know?"

"I'm just that good," his uncle said with a crooked grin. "You kids have fun. Oh, and if you happen to see Pakkun, send him to me."

"We will." Naruto stood up and waved at the dark-haired man. "See you later, Uncle!"

He pushed the news about his godfather to the back of his mind; he would deal with it later. Right now he had a whole village to explore.

But first, he had to find Kimimaro.

 **-XOXO-**

Somehow, Kimimaro found himself in the sitting room once again.

He wasn't sure how that had happened. He had turned left after passing the library; he shouldn't have ended up back where he started.

The white-haired boy shook his head, annoyed by both this house's numerous rooms and his inability to navigate them. All he wanted was a glass of milk – and maybe a couple of the biscuits he and Konan had bought yesterday. Kaji had told him he could take as many as he wanted, but he didn't dare try the limits of the black-haired man's tolerance.

Kimimaro was trying to determine the best way to reach his destination when his eyes fell on the ink painting hanging on the wall between two of the room's windows. He had noticed it the first time he had passed through here but, occupied as he was with his search, he hadn't given it more than a passing glance. It was a beautiful drawing of a small village built by the sea – Uzushio, the boy realized. The skyline was the same, but the buildings were old, almost archaic, and much, much fewer than what he had seen from the ship. ' _This drawing must ancient._ '

His curiosity piqued, Kimimaro stepped closer to the ink drawing to examine the pictures on top of the small cabinet underneath it.

The first one was of two people he didn't recognize; a man with long red hair and a beautiful woman with black hair and green eyes. Both were very young and dressed in fancy – and extremely outdated, even to Kimimaro's scant knowledge of fashion – clothes.

The second pictured featured the same black-haired woman, although she was a few years older than before. She was surrounded by four children, none older than Kimimaro was right now. Three of them had red hair, like the man in the first picture, while the youngest, who didn't seem to be more than a year old and was held tightly in the woman's arms, had hair as dark as hers. All five of them were smiling brightly at the one who was taking the picture.

Kimimaro finally realized what he was looking at: family photographs.

The third picture was of five grinning teenagers – or, more accurately, of four teenagers and a pre-teen boy. The boy on the far left had short-cropped red hair and green eyes that reminded Kimimaro of the black-haired woman from before; he was wearing a wide grin that somehow managed to stretch from ear to ear. Next to him was a boy that looked like an older version of Naruto, only with even more messy hair and an unmarked face. In the middle, next to the blond boy, was the girl with the long red hair; she had the same face-splitting smile on her face as her brother. Standing next to her was the other red-haired boy, the oldest of the four siblings; with their identical dark blue eyes and long hair, the resemblance between brother and sister was striking. And on his other side was the black-haired boy – Kaji, Kimimaro realized with a start.

The white-haired boy turned his eyes to the fourth photograph. This one was much more recent than the others. Kaji and Kenjiro were just as he knew them – although both of them were smiling brightly, an expression the white-haired boy had yet to see on either of their faces. They were standing on either side of a slightly younger Naruto, who was wearing a face-splitting grin that immediately reminded him of the two red-haired teens. Two girls with red hair were also standing next to the blond; he recognized Karin, but didn't know who the dark-eyed one was. And featured prominently in front of Naruto was a cake with six candles.

Kimimaro examined Naruto's smiling face carefully. Then, he studied the blond teenager's face again.

If not for the markings on Naruto's cheeks, the resemblance between the two boys would be uncanny. The same spiky blond hair, the same blue eyes…

…No, the eyes were not the same. The color was identical, but the shape was different. So was the shape of their face, Kimimaro noticed after looking between the pictures of the two boys a few times.

"That's my dad."

Kimimaro jumped in surprise and quickly turned around to face the one who had just spoken.

"I noticed you were looking at the photos, so…" Naruto trailed off and shrugged. "People say we look a lot alike."

Kimimaro nodded; only a fool would deny the resemblance between the two boys. "Who are the others?"

Naruto moved closer to the cabinet. "That's my mom," he said, pointing at the red-haired girl, "uncle Kenshin," the boy whose long red hair was caught in a ponytail, "uncle Kaito," the one with the short red hair, "and uncle Kaji."

"I haven't seen them around." Except for Kaji, that is.

"They're dead," Naruto said simply. "Uncle Kenshin and uncle Kaito died nine years ago and my parents were killed shortly after I was born."

That bit of information caught Kimimaro by surprise. He would never have imagined that this cheerful boy was an orphan. Not knowing how he should respond to Naruto's statement, he went back to looking at the photographs.

"Anyway," Naruto said, fidgeting awkwardly, "I was wondering if you'd like to see the village. I can show you around."

"I can walk freely?" Kimimaro blurted out before he could stop himself. Of course he would _never_ be allowed to–

"Sure." Naruto flashed him a bright grin. "It wouldn't be much of a tour otherwise, right?"

Still stunned, Kimimaro nodded dumbly. Then, realizing that he wasn't making sense, he shook his head.

"We can start at the central square," Naruto said. "Then we can go to the Harbor, the shrine outside the village…"

Kimimaro watched silently as Naruto continued naming the places they could visit, seemingly oblivious to the white-haired boy's shock.

 **-XOXO-**

"What is this place?" Kimimaro asked quietly.

"The Noh Mask Hall," Naruto answered just as quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace around the temple.

The building was very old, having been built decades ago in the outskirts of the then newly-founded Uzushio, an area which was now near the heart of the village. Despite this, the extensive garden surrounding it gave visitors the feeling that they were trespassing on a sacred place.

"It's an old temple that was renovated about a year ago," the blond boy explained. "It houses the masks that Grandfather removed from the temple in the Land of Fire."

Belatedly, Naruto remembered that Kimimaro didn't know anything about the events that had changed his life. ' _I'll tell him about it another time_ ,' he thought as he saw the white-haired boy's usually blank expression turn into one of mild curiosity.

"They're the most awesome work of the Uzumaki clan's seal masters," Naruto continued, trying to draw the older boy into a conversation. He didn't mind silence as much as he used to back when he lived in Konoha, but something about Kimimaro's was unnerving him. It reminded him too much of how he used act around people. "Each mask has different properties. Some can turn the wearer invisible to even the most powerful sensory-type ninja; others can change the wearer's appearance completely. And some," the blond added dramatically, "can give the wearer power even over the kami."

Kimimaro took a small step forward, as if to enter the building, before stopping and looking at Naruto. "Can I see them?"

"No. The temple is strictly off-limits," Naruto added hastily when he saw the white-haired boy's dejected look. "Very few people are allowed inside."

"If people aren't supposed to go inside the temple, then why is it in the middle of the village?"

Kimimaro's question gave Naruto pause. He hadn't thought about that.

"I don't know," the blond admitted sheepishly. "Maybe we can ask Uncle later."

The older boy nodded. "How do the masks work?"

"Well… You have to wear them, first."

Naruto raised an eyebrow when he saw the corner of Kimimaro's mouth twitch a little. ' _Was that a frown or a grin?_ '

"Then you have to channel your chakra into the seal. Somehow."

"Somehow?" Kimimaro echoed.

"Neither Grandfather nor Uncle will tell me," Naruto said sullenly. "They say that I'm not old enough to know yet."

"You're old enough to fight."

Naruto shook his head. "Academy students don't fight. Even genin rarely take part in battles unless it's absolutely necessary."

Kimimaro stared at him for a long time, as if he had just said something outrageous, like: 'the sky is green'.

"You'll enroll in the Academy, too, right?" Naruto asked, trying to change the subject; his uncle had told him how he had first met Kimimaro. "Do you think we might be in the same class? You're older than me, but Uncle says you've had little training as a ninja."

"I don't know," Kimimaro said, still having that dumbstruck look on his face.

"You'll probably be on the same class with Karin and Honoka," Naruto continued in a valiant effort to keep the conversation going. "Have you met them yet?"

"I've met Karin."

Naruto walked away from the temple's entrance, motioning for the older boy to join him. "Come on!"

"Where are we going?" Kimimaro asked, falling in step next to the blond.

"To the marketplace."

"Why?"

"Because Karin said that she and Honoka were going to be there."

"So…?" Kimimaro asked slowly.

"So you can meet Honoka," Naruto replied in a mild 'duh' tone.

"…I see."

Naruto didn't comment on the fact that the white-haired boy still had that look of open-mouthed astonishment on his face, like he'd taken way too many hits on the head during training. He knew from personal experience that it would take some time for Kimimaro to adjust to life in the Whirlpool.

 **-XOXO-**

Sasuke stared at the unfamiliar ceiling for a long time, trying to chase away the remnants of the nightmare he had seen. All those people… His parents… And Itachi's eyes…

He shook his head and covered his eyes with the palm of his left hand to block out the light, only to wince as his upper arm stung.

Sasuke touched the bandages tied around his arm with the fingertips of his right hand.

Fighting back the almost overwhelming urge to scream in denial, he threw the blanket off him and got on his feet, ignoring both the stinging in his arm and the sudden wave of nausea that came over him. They couldn't be dead. It was just a nightmare. They were back home waiting for him. All he had to do was go and find them.

He hadn't taken more than a few steps down the hallway when a woman's stern voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Where do you think you're going?" The woman, a young blonde with her hair tied in two low ponytails, dismissed the nurse she had been talking to and stared at him reproachfully with her arms folded over her chest. "You're still recovering. Go back to your room."

"I'm going home," Sasuke stated, refusing to be intimidated by her. "I need to see my parents."

The woman let her hands drop and her expression became somber, turning Sasuke's blood to ice. "Come with me."

Sasuke followed her numbly as she led him through the hospital's nondescript corridors to a different room.

He felt relief flooding him when he saw the patient inside that room. "Mom."

The steady, almost hypnotic beeping of a heart rate monitor answered him. His mother's chest rose and fell in time with the ventilator as the machine pumped air into her lungs through the tubes on her nose and mouth. ' _She's so pale,_ ' the boy noticed. Uchiha Mikoto's skin had always been fair, but her current pallor was unnatural.

"Is she alright?" Sasuke asked, panic overtaking his momentary relief.

"She's lost a lot of blood," the blonde replied evasively. "But her condition is stable now. She should make a full recovery, in time."

"What about my father? Is he here, too?"

"There was nothing I could do for him. I'm sorry, Sasuke."

Sasuke clenched his fists as he remembered the sight of Itachi standing over their parents' unmoving bodies. ' _Why did you do this, brother?_ '

"Where is Itachi?" he asked, voice trembling from grief – and rage. His brother would pay for this.

"The ANBU are pursuing him."

But Itachi was an ANBU himself, and he was the best. They wouldn't find him unless he let them find him.

The blonde studied him for a moment. "I suppose that telling you to return to your room would be futile, wouldn't it?"

Sasuke, still lost in his thoughts, didn't answer her.

His father was dead, and his mother had almost joined him. Itachi couldn't get away with this; he _wouldn't_ get away with this.

"I'll let you stay with your mother," the blonde said, "but you have to promise me to take it easy. Don't do anything that will aggravate your wounds."

'My _wounds?_ ' he thought bitterly. "It's just a scratch."

Sasuke walked towards the only chair in the room. Taking care not to strain his injured arm, he lifted it a few centimeters above the floor and carried to his mother's bedside, acutely aware of the blonde's eyes following his every move.

"I'm not talking about your shoulder," the blonde said quietly. "Try to get some sleep, Sasuke. I'll check up on the two of you later."

After a few moments, Sasuke heard the soft click of the door closing and the clacking of the blonde woman's heels as she was walking away.

 **-XOXO-**

"That ugly frown doesn't become you, Tsunade."

"Jiraiya," Tsunade growled, feeling her frown deepen with each syllable. "Don't you have something to do besides bothering me?"

"You wound me, Tsunade-hime." The white-haired pest entered her office through the window, ignoring her numerous warnings to use the door.

"I'm considering it." Tsunade rubbed her forehead; she wasn't in the mood to deal with him. "What do you want?"

"I was just passing by and thought I'd check up on your latest patients." As if a switch had been flipped, Jiraiya's juvenile demeanor faded away, revealing the serious, no-nonsense Sannin. "How is Mikoto?"

"Bad," Tsunade said bluntly. "A couple of centimeters to the right and her spinal cord would have been severed. Even so, she's lost a lot of blood; had she been brought to me a few minutes later…"

"She was lucky." Jiraiya shook his head. "No, I'm not sure 'lucky' is the right word here. What about Itachi?"

"Gone without a trace." Tsunade hadn't had the heart to reveal that to Sasuke.

This was why she had quit the shinobi life so many years ago: so she wouldn't have to deal with psychotic murderers and senseless violence. So what if she was one of the few people who could make a difference? Hadn't she sacrificed enough already? She had earned a quiet, uneventful life.

"Why did I let you drag me back here?"

"'Drag you'?" Jiraiya repeated, puzzled. "I didn't drag you anywhere, Tsunade. You _agreed_ to return, remember?"

"I was drunk!"

"How is that _my_ fault?" Jiraiya protested. "No-one should be drunk at nine in the morning!"

"And you lied to me!"

"Hold on, I have never–"

"You didn't tell me what was really going on here!"

"But you already knew," Jiraiya said with the air of a man who knew he was missing something important. " _You_ told _me_ about the Uzumaki seceding before I could tell you anything about it."

"But I didn't know that they were _right_!" Tsunade yelled, smashing her fist on her desk and filling the air with splinters.

Jiraiya stood absolutely still, watching her warily. "Tsunade?"

"I never thought…" She paused and tried to collect herself. "I thought that the old fox had simply overreacted when he found out that he had been lied to and his grandson was still alive. But this…" Tsunade clenched and unclenched her fist, fighting back the urge to vent her rage at the rest of the furniture. "My grandmother was always treated with the utmost respect, Jiraiya. It's hard to believe that the same people who revered her would treat a child so horribly."

"If that's how you feel," he asked after a few moments of uneasy silence, "then why are you still here?"

"My entire family died defending this village," Tsunade replied bitterly. "Where else would I be?"

She _could_ go to the Whirlpool; they would welcome her with open arms if she did. But if a war between Konoha and Uzushio really was coming… No matter the circumstances, she could never bring herself to fight against her homeland. And she couldn't go back to drinking and gambling her way around the Land of Fire, either. She knew that her presence in the Leaf was one of the main reasons the other Kage were still playing nice; nobody wanted to face the wrath of the Slug Princess.

Not even the Hokage.

"Help me, then," he implored her for the umpteenth time. "The only way to prevent the war Danzou is raving about is to reform the alliance."

"You're wasting your time, Jiraiya," Tsunade said flatly. "I've told you before: it's impossible."

"Maybe not," Jiraiya said cryptically. "I didn't come here just to ask after Mikoto's health. I received a message from Kenjiro-sama, inviting me to Uzushio."

That piece of information caught Tsunade by surprise, but she quickly shook it off. "So what? You'll never be able to talk him into it."

"Why do you have to be so negative?" the white-haired man grumbled. "He might be amenable to–"

" _I'd_ never agree to reform the alliance," Tsunade interjected, shutting him up before he could built up momentum. "If this had been done to Nawaki, I'd have beaten the bastards responsible into a pulp and turned their village to rubble. Frankly," she added, "what surprises me is that Kenjiro-sama _hasn't_ tried to kill the Hokage yet."

 _Yet_ being the operative word.

"Kaji, then. Maybe the son would be more willing to–" Jiraiya trailed off as Tsunade shook her head. "Well, then who? There must be an Uzumaki willing to listen to reason!"

"I doubt it," Tsunade said in the same matter-of-fact tone.

Jiraiya set his jaw in an all-too-familiar expression. "Nevertheless, I have to try."

Tsunade opened her mouth in a futile attempt to set him straight, but closed it before she could utter a word. Instead, she studied him thoughtfully. It was a one-in-a-million chance, but maybe – just _maybe_ – he could actually succeed. At the very least, he was the only person whose involvement couldn't make things worse than they already were.

"I would expect nothing else from you," she said with a small smile.

"The Great Jiraiya never gives up in the face of adversity!" her fool of a former teammate boasted with a huge grin on his face.

Tsunade rolled her eyes in exasperation; would he ever grow up? "I know I haven't said it before, Jiraiya, but… Despite everything that's happened, I'm glad you got Naruto out of here."

Even as the words left her lips, Tsunade was certain that both her grandmother and her grandfather would agree with her. The First Hokage had created this village to protect children from the horrors of war; he would have been appalled to see a child treated as a pawn in the power struggle between the elemental nations. As for her grandmother… Sarutobi and his advisors should be grateful that she had been dead for more than two decades; even the Nidaime had been wary of facing Uzumaki Mito's wrath.

Jiraiya's smile froze, making her realize her mistake; both of them had been carefully avoiding the subject of his treason these past two years. She should have known better than to bring this up now.

"It was the right thing to do," he said quietly. "But I'm sure you have more important things to do than chat with me," he added in an overly jovial tone that failed to put her at ease. "I'll let you get back to your work."

He stood up, waved goodbye at her and, rather hastily, started walking towards the window.

"Use the door!" Tsunade yelled at the now empty windowsill. "And be careful," she added under her breath.

There was no telling how Danzou would react when he found out about Jiraiya's upcoming visit to the Whirlpool.

* * *

 **Author's notes:**

I'm sorry I took so long between updates; 'hectic' wouldn't even begin to describe the past few months for me. Thankfully, I'm done with all my pressing obligations and should have plenty of free time now.

Again, let me assure you that I have no plans to abandon either of my stories.

 **-X-**

Kimimaro: I always thought he was a tragically wasted character. There was never any chance for him to get a happy ending.

He was introduced when he was already terminally ill as Orochimaru's second most powerful henchman who took 'undying loyalty' way too literally. His motives were as sympathetic as Haku's but his illness, along with Naruto, Lee, and Gaara's preoccupation with getting past him in order to reach Sasuke in time, resulted in him dying without ever realizing that the man he had dedicated his life to viewed him as nothing more than a pawn.

Thankfully (in my opinion, at least), this time things happened a little differently and Orochimaru never had a chance to get his hands on him.

 **-X-**

Tobi's plan: Tobi knows that he can't defeat Nagato in a one-on-one fight. Therefore, he manipulated the Fourth Mizukage into inviting a delegation from Uzushio in Kiri, knowing that Nagato, an extremely powerful shinobi and Kaji's friend, would be among them. Then, Tobi, Yagura, and Kisame would kill Nagato. (A jinchuuriki, a man wielding a sword that devours chakra, and an Uchiha with the Mangekyou Sharingan would have been able to defeat even someone as powerful as Nagato.)

It's amusing to think that Tobi's evil plan of capturing Nagato was ruined by Orochimaru's evil plan to capture Karin's mother, a kunoichi with a unique gift of healing.

Did Orochimaru do it on purpose? Yes. Why? Who knows…

 **-X-**

Tsunade: There were at least two sake bottles on the table when Jiraiya tried to convince her to return to Konoha. An empty one, which she threw at him, and a half-full one, which he took away from her. (I put the total number of bottles on the table at four.) And, from what we've seen in canon, Tsunade is either a lightweight drinker (she was puking her guts out after downing a couple of bottles of sake when she and Jiraiya were talking about his imminent departure for the Hidden Rain) or she drinks _way_ too much. Personally, I think it's a bit of both.

So, yes, she _was_ a little drunk. She wasn't smashed, just in the sort of happy drunken haze when skinny-dipping in a pool of flesh-eating piranha seems like a good idea.

And now that she knows exactly what was going on in Konoha, she can't leave because it would go against her conscience.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please, review and share your thoughts.


	7. Chapter Six: The Fox's Web

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

To "Haffulk", my gaming friend. We'll miss you.

* * *

 **Chapter Six: The Fox's Web**

Jiraiya kept his back ramrod straight and his face as impassive as he possibly could, determined not to fidget under Uzumaki Kenjiro's piercing gaze. He also pretended not to notice the dark look Kaji, who was standing slightly behind his father's right hand in what looked like full combat gear and with his arms crossed over his chest, was levelling at him.

' _If looks could kill…_ '

"Jiraiya." The old man's voice could have caused blizzards in Suna.

The Sannin bowed his head politely to the Uzumaki clan head. "Kenjiro-sama."

"You have a lot of nerve, showing your face here after everything you've done."

' _He's not beating around the bush, is he?_ ' Nevertheless, Jiraiya wasn't going to complain. So far, things were going better than he had expected. He hadn't been kicked out of Uzushio yet, and he was actually standing face-to-face with the Uzumaki clan head.

… In the obviously infuriated clan head's office, which was undoubtedly fortified with some of the most powerful fuuinjutsu of the Uzumaki clan. While said clan head – who was one of the few people alive who could wipe the floor with him – was flanked by one of his most powerful jounin.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

On second thought, maybe things weren't going as well as he had hoped they would.

"I..." He could say that he was here only to talk. That killing him would lead to war between Konoha and Uzushio. That all he wanted was to finally meet his godson. "…I can't."

Kaji raised a perplexed eyebrow, but didn't otherwise comment on his unusual – borderline _suicidal_ – response.

"You have an odd way of defending yourself," the old man said.

Jiraiya gave both of them a tiny shrug in response. "Would it make any difference if I told you that I'm sorry for everything that's happened?"

"No," Kenjiro said curtly; Jiraiya couldn't blame him.

"I'd like to meet Naruto."

"Why should I allow you to speak with him?"

"Because he's my godson," Jiraiya stated simply.

"Maybe you should have remembered that before you–" Kaji clamped his mouth shut when he noticed Kenjiro's 'settle down' gesture.

Jiraiya blinked at the sudden change in the young man's demeanor; he had gone from impassive observer to ready-to-cut-your-heart-out-with-a-spoon in less than a heartbeat.

He returned the young Uzumaki's glare with a scowl of his own. "I never forgot."

"Then why did you lie to us?" Even though Kenjiro had posed the question in a level tone, the Toad Sage felt a shiver running down his spine. Something was telling him that his answer would determine whether he would leave Uzushio or not – and in what fashion.

"I only agreed with the Hokage's insane plan because I truly believed that Naruto would be safer in anonymity." Seeing the dubious looks the two Uzumaki were giving him, he pressed on. "Naruto's life would have been in danger the moment Minato's enemies learned about the boy's existence. Remaining anonymous was the best way to ensure his survival; just one more child that had been orphaned by the Kyuubi's rampage.

"Besides," Jiraiya added, "I didn't think that Naruto's parentage would remain a secret for long. Even as a baby, the resemblance between him and Minato was striking. People were bound to notice."

"But they _didn't_ notice," Kaji said scathingly.

"I know." The Toad Sage's hands clenched into fists as he remembered what he had learned about Naruto's life in Konoha. "I made a mistake."

He hadn't dared ask his informants about Naruto directly, and had assumed that they were reluctant to write to him about the boy out of fear of the letters being intercepted by an enemy. It had never crossed his mind that they would have considered the boy an annoyance unworthy of the great Sannin's attention.

"A 'mistake'?" Kaji snarled. "Almost everyone in Konoha pretended that Naruto didn't exist; they didn't even acknowledge him as a human being." The young man narrowed his eyes to the point they resembled this slits. "This would never have happened if you'd told us the truth."

The uncomfortable feeling of déjà-vu came over Jiraiya. ' _First Kakashi, now Kaji…_ '

"Could you have protected him?" Jiraiya shot back. "Could you have kept him safe from Iwa and Kumo?"

Kaji opened his mouth to retort with something – some kind of expletive, judging by the look on his face – but Kenjiro raised his hand again, stopping his son before he could utter a single word.

"We will never know, will we?" the old man asked.

"…No, we won't." Jiraiya looked at his clenched fists and willed them to open. "All I ever wanted was to keep Naruto safe," he added in a voice barely above a whisper. "I thought: 'one year, two at the most' before people started wondering about the boy's resemblance to the deceased Hokage. And once they started gossiping about it, it was bound to reach your ears sooner or later, no matter what the elders did to hush things up."

"Too bad someone told them about the Kyuubi before they could notice the family resemblance," Kaji said icily.

"When I find out who let that piece of information slip, I'm going to make them regret it." Jiraiya wasn't a violent man, but he was willing to make an exception for the bastard – or _bastards_ – who had ruined his godson's childhood.

"Good." The Sannin would have been more than a little disconcerted by the look of cold fury on the black-clad young man's face if it wasn't for the fact that his own features were twisted in the exact same murderous expression.

Silence followed the young man's statement, but it wasn't tense and uncomfortable like before. It took a few moments for the Toad Sage to realize why: there was no longer the threat of imminent violence in the air. Somehow, he and the two Uzumaki seemed to have reached some kind of understanding.

"Kaji," Kenjiro said after a couple more minutes spent contemplating their place in the grand scheme of things, "could you escort Jiraiya to our house and introduce him to the children?"

Kaji bowed his head politely to the old man. "Of course, Father."

"Thank you. I'll join you as soon as I have finished here."

The Toad Sage opened his mouth to protest; he hadn't even had a chance to bring up the possibility of reforming the alliance.

Then, it occurred to him that this line of inquiry could get him kicked out of the Whirlpool before he had a chance to talk to Naruto, so he decided to ask about the old man's sudden change of heart, instead; he didn't believe for an instant that Kenjiro was allowing him to meet Naruto purely out of the goodness of his heart.

 _Then_ , he thought better of it and decided to keep his big mouth shut; he probably shouldn't be pushing his luck.

"Until later." He turned around and walked towards the door Kaji was holding open for him.

He wordlessly followed the young man out of Uzushio's administrative building.

 **-XOXO-**

If Kaji were to be entirely honest with himself, he was enjoying watching his father push one of the Legendary Sannin around like the man was a hapless genin barely out of the Academy. Especially since this particular Sannin had been the cause of so much grief for his family.

' _And for himself,_ ' the dark-haired man mused as he snuck a sidelong glance at Jiraiya.

He had seen the pain in the other man's face when he was talking about Naruto; the Toad Sage was terrible at hiding his feelings. Which was fortunate for him, because this small deviation from proper shinobi conduct was the only reason Kaji was willing to let Jiraiya come anywhere near his nephew.

It wasn't forgiveness – not yet. The old man would have to find a way to prove himself worthy of it. But it was a good first step. At the very least, he and Jiraiya wouldn't be constantly sniping at each other in front of Naruto.

"Who does Kenjiro-sama want me to meet, besides Naruto?" Jiraiya asked.

"Karin and Kimimaro; two children that are staying with us."

"I didn't know you had kids," the Sannin said with a sly grin.

"I don't," Kaji replied tersely; he know _exactly_ what Jiraiya was thinking.

The white-haired man's grin widened, but he mercifully dropped the subject.

Kaji huffed in annoyance and decided to ignore the Sannin, thanking every kami in existence that Yahiko hadn't heard the older man's comments. The orange-haired ninja was already teasing him to no end about how he was turning into a mother hen.

 _'Mother hen,_ ' he scoffed inwardly. ' _I'm only trying to keep my nephew safe_.'

It wasn't like he was a worrywart or anything like that. Naruto seemed to be magnetically attracted to trouble; he needed someone to keep an eye – or preferably _both_ eyes – on him. He was simply being… cautious.

"I heard that you had taken a desk job."

Kaji glanced at Jiraiya again; was he fishing for information or was he just making idle conversation? "I did."

"You're literally the last person I'd expect to _voluntarily_ ask to sit behind a desk all day."

The dark-haired man shrugged; he had the feeling that he didn't need to explain to Jiraiya why he had chosen to stop taking missions outside the Whirlpool.

The Sannin nodded towards the young man's attire. "Is paperwork giving you trouble?"

"Some letter are more troubling than others," Kaji replied with the hint of a smirk.

"…Point taken."

"Just so we're clear…" Kaji said as they reached the center of Uzushio and started walking down the street that would eventually lead them to the Uzumaki clan head's residence. "If you harm Naruto in any way, you'll never leave the island."

"And here I thought we were starting to get along…" Jiraiya mumbled.

"We are," Kaji admitted. "Which is why I'm giving you a warning."

"I don't mean to brag," the Sannin began in a tone that implied the exact opposite, "but I believe that a fight between the two of us would be a little one-sided."

"Take a look around you, Jiraiya-sama. What do you see?"

Without breaking stride, the Toad Sage examined his surroundings. His face changed from indifferent to concerned – and slightly awed – when he realized what he was looking at.

Every building in Uzushio was covered with a wide array of seals, which had been carefully camouflaged as decorative wall carvings. And that was without taking into account the extensive network of barrier and sentry seals extending over each island in the Land of Whirlpools. Even so, all of these paled in comparison to the seals protecting the administrative building and the new Noh Mask Hall.

Even Kaji's father was willing to admit that the Uzumaki _may_ have gone just a _little_ overboard in defending their homeland after the Invasion.

"As long as you're in Uzushio, Jiraiya-sama, it doesn't matter that you're one of the Legendary Sannin." The dark-haired man let a rather nasty smirk form on his face. "All I have to do is activate a couple of these seals and there won't be enough left of you to send back to Konoha in a matchbox." The smirk widened. "The biggest problem would be apologizing to the neighbors for ruining their garden."

"You really know how to make a guest feel welcome, don't you," Jiraiya said flatly. "What's next? A tour around the Whirlpool's Torture and Interrogation department?"

"I don't think that will be necessary." Unless talking with Konan, who was arguably Uzushio's best information gatherer and spymaster, counted as being interrogated by a ninja from T&I.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the house.

Kaji stopped in front of the entrance with his hand on the doorknob. "One more thing…"

" _Another_ death threat?"

The dark-haired man shook his head. "Just a few words about Karin and Kimimaro."

Jiraiya raised an intrigued eyebrow.

"Kimimaro has only been here for a couple of weeks," Kaji continued; both children were in the Academy right now, but it would be for the best if the Sannin knew a few things about them in advance. "Have you heard about what happened to the Kaguya clan?"

"I heard that they tried to assassinate the Mizukage," Jiraiya said. "And that there weren't any survivors."

"He's the only one left," Kaji informed him. "And Karin's mother is missing in action."

"Missing? Or dead?"

"Until Yahiko and Nagato return from their mission, she's only missing."

"I see." Jiraiya let out a heavy sigh. "I'll avoid asking them about their families."

"Thank you," Kaji said; it was all the deference he was prepared to offer to the Toad Sage at the moment.

Without another word, he pushed the front door open.

 **-XOXO-**

Jiraiya followed Kaji through the maze of corridors that was the young man's ancestral residence, trying to put his thoughts in some semblance of order.

First, there was this boy, Kimimaro. Assuming that he wasn't a bloodthirsty lunatic like most of his clan were reputed to be, he would grow up to be an invaluable ally. The Toad Sage was dying to know how the Uzumaki had managed to get their hands on the last survivor of the infamous Kaguya clan – along with what they had been doing in Kiri in the first place. He might have 'forgotten' to mention it to Kaji, but he was well aware that the young man had led a mission to the Hidden Mist a few weeks ago, despite having supposedly opted out of field work.

Then, there was the girl, Karin's, mother. She – or maybe one of her teammates – must have been very influential if Kenjiro was willing to send someone as powerful as Nagato on a search and rescue mission to find her instead of assigning him to act as his son and heir's bodyguard in Kiri. Which, in turn, led to the question of who was mad enough to attack this particular team of Uzushio shinobi – and powerful enough to defeat them.

' _Questions upon questions…_ ' And no way to get answers without offending his hosts.

They walked past a door that lead to a sitting room; Jiraiya idly examined a beautiful ink drawing hanging between two windows. He scowled as his eyes traced the distinctive pattern of a chakra draining seal that had been stylized to resemble an abstract wood carving on the wall behind it.

' _In here as well…_ ' If this was how the residential areas were defended, then he didn't even want to imagine what kind of seals were protecting the shoreline. From what he had seen, the Uzumaki had taken the notion of using their fuuinjutsu to fortify the Whirlpool and, as usual, had gone completely overboard.

' _And there are some in Konoha who believe that attacking Uzushio is a good idea._ ' Jiraiya scoffed inwardly; any army foolish enough to march against the Whirlpool would be decimated before they made it two blocks inside the village.

In all honesty, this trip was turning into quite an educational experience.

They passed in front of a few more doorways leading to different parts of the house before Kaji stopped in front of a sliding door and pulled it open, revealing a small but well-tended sitting room. This time, Jiraiya didn't pay any attention to the décor; instead, his attention was caught by the young woman and the child sitting side by side at the low table in the center of the room.

"It's good to see you again, Jiraiya-sensei," Konan said, inclining her head politely in greeting. "Welcome to Uzushio."

Jiraiya smiled at her; it was good to hear something other than thinly-veiled threats – whenever they bothered with using a veil, that is. "It's good to see you too, Konan."

The blue-haired woman sighed tiredly. "Do I need to remind you where my eyes are, sensei?"

Jiraiya's grin widened and he lifted his gaze to her golden eyes, a sight no less enchanting than the rest of her. She had grown even more beautiful in the years since he had last seen her.

"Is he really a powerful ninja?" the boy who looked like a spot-the-differences copy of Minato mumbled under his breath.

"Don't let his looks deceive you, kid," Kaji said as he took a seat across the boy, motioning for the Toad Sage to join him. "He's one of the most powerful shinobi alive."

Jiraiya sat down next to the dark-haired man. "And what's that supposed to mean, exactly?"

"Just that you look a little…" Kaji faltered, evidently trying to come up with a characterization that wasn't insulting – or, more likely, that was child-friendly. "…Well, you know what I mean."

Jiraiya huffed indignantly, but refused to be baited into an argument.

The sound of giggles from the other side of the table drew his attention back to the golden-haired boy. Jiraiya wasn't sure what he was expecting his godson to be like, but he wasn't disappointed by what he was seeing.

Naruto had a warm smile that lit up his whisker-marked face, and bright blue eyes that seemed incapable of reflecting any malice. He was wearing a plain orange shirt that nonetheless looked expensive and, undoubtedly, had the red spiral of the Uzumaki clan stamped on the back. All in all, he seemed to be a healthy, happy seven-year-old boy.

Jiraiya privately wondered whether that would be the case if Naruto had never left Konoha.

He smiled at his godson, but his grin froze when Naruto turned to face him. He had seen that look before on Minato's face, and it never bode well for the person on the receiving end of it.

"Where have you been all this time?" Naruto asked furiously.

' _Well, at least he's direct_.' That was something the boy had definitely taken from his Uzumaki relatives.

Jiraiya took a deep breath, steeling himself, and began repeating his story.

 **-XOXO-**

Naruto frowned as he listened to his newly-found godfather's explanation as to why the man had been absent from the boy's life for all those years. He wasn't an expert on proper shinobi conduct or politics, but all this 'go along with it and hope for the best' sounded pretty shaky to him.

He wasted no time informing Jiraiya of this. "That's nonsense."

Jiraiya stared at him for a moment with his mouth hanging slightly open. "I'm sorry?"

"Nonsense," Naruto repeated, enunciating the word; it wasn't the one he'd wanted to use, but Yahiko had cautioned him against using that other word anywhere near Konan. "You had no way of knowing that anyone would notice the resemblance between me and my dad."

"Well, not _exactly_ ," Jiraiya admitted, squirming uncomfortably in his seat, "but I was fairly certain that–"

Naruto didn't let him complete his sentence. "They didn't believe Grandfather when he told them who my dad was." He hadn't believed his grandfather either, at the time, but that was beside the point. "And how would they notice, when they never even looked at me?" he asked, unable to fully keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"I didn't know, Naruto," Jiraiya said softly. "I learned what was really going on after your grandfather broke the alliance and…" He paused and shook his head. "…And I'm sorry. You're right; so is your uncle, and Kakashi. I should have been keeping an eye on you."

Naruto's brow furrowed as he pondered the unfamiliar name. "Kakashi… Is that your friend's name, Uncle?"

Kaji gave Jiraiya a murderous look before turning his gaze to the boy. "Yes, that's his name."

"You haven't told him Kakashi's name?" the white-haired man asked incredulously.

"Not yet."

"You don't think he needs to know–?"

"Of course he needs to know," Kaji snapped, shooting another cold look at Jiraiya. "But I also want Kakashi to survive long enough for Naruto to be able to thank him in person one day."

"Oh." Comprehension dawned on the white-haired man's face. "Oops."

Kaji sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"You haven't changed at all, sensei." Konan's voice was even, but Naruto could swear she was on the verge of laughter.

Naruto's mouth quirked in a small smile. Jiraiya wasn't all that bad. ' _And he did say he was sorry_.'

It couldn't hurt to give him a chance.

 **-XOXO-**

"…Therefore, I believe that it would be beneficial for everyone involved if trade was reestablished between Uzushio and Konoha."

"I'm running out of ways to say 'No', Jiraiya," Kenjiro said tiredly.

' _Then say 'Yes', you stubborn old geezer!_ ' Jiraiya was feeling the need to grab fistfuls of his hair and start pulling them out in frustration. Negotiating with Uzumaki Kenjiro was like banging his head against a wall.

No, a wall could actually be brought down with a few good head-butts; Uzumaki Kenjiro was unyielding.

"Maybe he's hoping that you'll cave in if he becomes annoying enough," Akashio Rei told her fellow clan head.

"Then he doesn't know Kenjiro very well," Takashio Hiro commented lightly.

Jiraiya bristled inwardly at the way the elders of the Whirlpool were talking about him as if he weren't in the same room – and worse, as if he were a misbehaving genin – but somehow managed to swallow his indignant protests.

"With respect, Kenjiro-sama," the Toad Sage began, "you shouldn't reject my proposal so offhandedly."

" _Your_ proposal?" the red-haired old man asked with an amused smirk. "Not the Hokage's?"

Jiraiya set his jaw, steeling himself for the treasonous words he was about to say. "No, not the Hokage's. Mine. But I can convince him to honor your terms, should we reach an agreement."

That was stretching the truth a bit, since Jiraiya hadn't exactly been authorized to offer terms to the Uzumaki – or even to speak on behalf of Konoha – but the Sannin considered it a mere technicality. If he managed to return with the Uzumaki's promise to reform the alliance between the two villages, not even Danzou would be able to object, no matter what the Whirlpool's demands were.

Kenjiro could literally demand anything he wanted. Anything at all.

The old man's reply was swift and decisive. "No."

' _Why the hell not, dammit?_ ' Jiraiya took a deep breath; he didn't know why the Head of Uzushio was trying so hard to anger him, but he wasn't about to fall in the old man's trap.

"Perhaps I didn't explain the situation clearly, Kenjiro-sama," Jiraiya said as diplomatically as he could muster at that moment – which, admittedly, wasn't all that much. "With the majority of the Uchiha clan dead and the Military Police effectively disbanded until a sufficient number of the surviving Uchiha reach the rank of chuunin, the Hyuuga clan is making a bid to acquire more of the Uchiha's previous responsibilities."

"So you mentioned before, Jiraiya," Nagare Shin said. "What's your point?"

"My point, esteemed elders," the Toad Sage began, shooting a cold glance at Kenjiro, "is that the Hyuuga are resentful of your alliance with Kumogakure."

"We're not allies with Kumo," Hiro corrected him.

"Not in essence, perhaps," Jiraiya said. "But in practice, Uzushio and Kumo are on friendlier terms than ever."

"Is maintaining good relationships with one's neighboring villages an offense now?" Rei asked, frowning.

"It's certainly a good pretext for war," Kenjiro remarked, eyeing Jiraiya thoughtfully. "Isn't that what you're trying to tell us?"

"…Yes," Jiraiya replied almost mechanically, completely taken aback by the elderly Uzumaki's bluntness.

The gears inside his head started turning again as he frantically tried to understand where the old man was going with this. Kenjiro knew how his actions would be seen by the elders of Konoha, and yet he had committed himself to this course regardless of the consequences. It was entirely uncharacteristic of the man who planned everything all the way down to the minutest detail, who had a reputation for being three steps ahead of his enemies, who–

Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock as all the pieces fell into place inside his mind. "…You _want_ to start a war between Konoha and Uzushio," he said in an accusatory whisper. "Don't you?"

The four elders were looking at him, their faces blank masks that revealed nothing about their thoughts.

Then, one corner of Rei's mouth turned upward in a slight smirk. "Clever man."

Jiraiya gaped at her, feeling as if the world were collapsing all around him.

"I'm not trying to start a war, Jiraiya," Kenjiro corrected him. "I'm only seeking justice for my grandson."

' _Justice?'_ Jiraiya thought. ' _Or vengeance?_ ' To Uzumaki Kenjiro, they were probably one and the same.

"Is getting revenge against the Hokage worth thousands of lives?" Jiraiya demanded. "Civilians, children; they will all be caught in the crossfire!"

"Is that the kind of man you think I am, Jiraiya?" Kenjiro asked sternly, clearly offended by the Sannin's accusation. "Do you truly believe that I would let children die for the mistakes of a few old men?"

"Right now, I don't know what to believe of you."

"Then believe me when I say this: I would rather take my own life right now, in this very room, than be responsible for the death of even a single child." Kenjiro's words were spoken with a conviction that Jiraiya found impossible to doubt.

"Then why are you doing this?" the Toad Sage asked. "What are you trying to accomplish?"

"I want to remove the Hokage and his advisors from their positions of power," Kenjiro said. "And then, when they're no longer a part of the Leaf's hierarchy, I will kill them."

Jiraiya shuddered at the calm tone in which the old man had announced his intention to end the lives of the Third Hokage and his advisors. "Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid I'll tell my old sensei about your plans?"

"Even if you did, it wouldn't change anything." The elderly Uzumaki gave him a long, searching look. "…But I don't think that you'll reveal any of this to Sarutobi."

Jiraiya averted his eyes; he didn't want to have to answer this.

The conniving old man was right; he wouldn't repeat a word of what had been discussed today to the Hokage. If anyone in Konoha got wind of the Uzumaki clan head's intentions, then they would all be screaming for his blood.

"What if your plan doesn't work?" Even the most carefully laid out plans could go wrong, after all. And if Jiraiya knew a few more details about it, he could make sure that everything _would_ go wrong.

"Then I'll have to make adjustments whenever it's necessary," Kenjiro said evenly.

"And what's _your_ gain from all this?" the Toad Sage asked curtly, looking in turn at Rei, Hiro, and Shin.

"The same as Kenjiro's, of course," Rei answered in a tone that implied that this should have been obvious to him.

"For years, we have been sending our clanmates to aid Konoha," Hiro explained. "Our siblings, our cousins, even our children. Most of them returned home, but some did not. They died in the service of the men and women who were lying to us.

"Kenjiro is not the only one here seeking revenge."

Shin nodded in agreement, his expression as cold and unrelenting as the others'.

Jiraiya felt the need to collapse on a sturdy chair as he considered the consequences of the Hokage having these four, who had managed to rebuild Uzushio from the rubble and return it to its former glory, as enemies.

"And what's going to happen once the Hokage is dead?"

"I don't know," Kenjiro replied. "I haven't planned that far ahead."

Jiraiya could tell that this was a lie, but he didn't contradict the old man.

After all, remaining in Uzumaki Kenjiro's good graces was the only way to ensure that the old man's claim of not wanting a war hadn't been a lie as well.

And as for the Hokage having to die…. Maybe there was a way to avoid it.

 **-XOXO-**

"Poor man," Rei said after Jiraiya left the council chambers, shaking her head fractionally. "I'm starting to feel sorry for him."

"No, you're not," Hiro snorted.

Rei smirked at her fellow clan head before turning her gaze to Kenjiro. "Do you really think he's going to keep his mouth shut?"

"It doesn't matter," Kenjiro said. "Whether he talks or not, the outcome will still favor us."

If Jiraiya told the Hokage everything that had been discussed this afternoon, then Hiruzen wouldn't be able to prevent Danzou from starting a war without appearing too weak to continue serving as the Hokage. That would give Kenjiro the excuse he needed to kill every member of Konoha's Council. After all, what better way to protect your village than by eliminating your enemy's leaders?

If, on the other hand, Jiraiya didn't talk, then Kenjiro would have the time he needed to work out all the details of his current plan – only a fraction of which he had confided in the Sannin. It would still end in the deaths of the elderly Hokage and his three most trusted advisors, of course, but getting to that part would be much, _much_ more gratifying.

"Indeed," Hiro said. "You should remember to thank Hiruzen for sending Jiraiya here instead of Tsunade," he added with a lopsided grin. "She wouldn't have fallen for your lies so easily, old friend."

"For a veteran of two wars, he still has an almost childish naiveté," Shin agreed.

"Most people call that 'idealism', Shin," Rei said with a bemused smirk on her face.

The white-haired man shook his head. "Foolishness."

"Why wouldn't he believe me?" Kenjiro asked his fellow clan heads. "After all, I didn't actually lie to him."

Hiro and Shin stared at him flatly, while Rei quirked a mocking eyebrow.

"I really _don't_ want to start a war," Kenjiro said. "Wars are messy and unpredictable. Most of the time, they result in the deaths of innocents rather than of the people you're trying to kill."

"The Third Raikage _was_ killed during the last War," Rei reminded him, her smirk turning downright evil.

"Yes, but Ohnoki is still alive." Despite Kenjiro's best efforts to rectify this.

"You can't win every time," Hiro said.

"Which is exactly my point," Kenjiro said, nodding in agreement. "In war, there's always the possibility of defeat."

 _'No,'_ the old man thought, _'I don't want a_ war _.'_

 **-XOXO-**

"Jiraiya-sensei."

Jiraiya looked up from his notebook to find Konan standing a few meters away from him; a swirl of small, square pieces of paper was floating around her. She had mastered her jutsu to an unparalleled degree, somehow combining her own original paper manipulation jutsu with a ninjutsu that altered one's physical form. Adding a space-time altering jutsu on top of all _that_ was simply incredible.

He smiled at her, proud to see how much she had grown from the timid little girl he had met so many years ago. "Yes, Konan?"

"Nagato and Yahiko have returned," she informed him, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jiraiya looked over to where Naruto was studying, along with three of his friends. The children didn't seem to have heard anything. "Should I end their lesson?"

It would be just his luck to have his lesson with Naruto interrupted after having gone through so much trouble to convince Kenjiro to allow him some time with the boy without Kaji breathing down his neck. Even if the old man had interpreted 'teaching my godson' as 'teaching Naruto and his closest friends'.

"There's no need for that, sensei." Konan glanced at the children. "Besides, it would be better if they remain occupied for a little longer."

Jiraiya nodded in understanding.

"Kenjiro-sama wishes you to attend the briefing."

The Toad Sage raised an eyebrow. "What does the scheming old man want with me?"

"You shouldn't call him that, Jiraiya-sensei," Konan scolded him mildly.

"Why not?" Jiraiya scoffed. "He's old, and he spends his time moving people around like pieces on a Shogi board."

He wasn't dumb enough to repeat that anywhere where Kenjiro or even Kaji might hear him, however.

"Kenjiro-sama is a great man," Konan said. "He offered Nagato, Yahiko, and I shelter and a place in Uzushio when he had every reason to imprison us as Ame spies." The young woman clasped her hands and fixed him with an even look. "He has earned our loyalty, sensei."

Jiraiya lifted his gaze from her eyes to the hitai-ate tied around her forehead, examining the spiral carved on the metal plate. "That's good; the spiral suits you much better than Ame's rainfall."

He didn't have to think hard on why Kenjiro had decided to accept someone as powerful as Nagato into the ranks of the shinobi of the Whirlpool, or why he had extended the same courtesy to Yahiko and Konan. But he couldn't even begin to guess what she had done to earn the armband bearing the Uzumaki crest she was wearing on her upper arm.

At least his three surviving students had found a home here. Even though he would have preferred it if they had sought refuge in Konoha, instead.

Konan smiled at him. "Thank you, sensei."

Jiraiya got on his feet and motioned for her to lead the way. "Shall we?"

 **-XOXO-**

Nagato sighed inwardly as Yahiko fidgeted once again. He wanted to return to his home, take a warm bath, and eat a decent meal just as much as his best friend did, but he wasn't going to _show_ his impatience.

"Anxious to go home?" Kaji teased the orange-haired ninja.

"You would be too, if you'd been on a mission for more than a month, eating nothing but field rations and bathing on streams," Yahiko mumbled darkly.

Nagato nodded in wholehearted agreement.

"I'll give you that one," the dark-haired man said.

Yahiko folded his arms over his chest and tapped his forearm. "What's taking them so long?"

Nagato glanced at the elderly Head of Uzushio. The old man was sitting behind his desk, calmly sipping his tea, seemingly oblivious to the world around him.

The Rinnegan bearer wasn't fooled for an instant by the old man's act. "If I may ask, Kenjiro-sama…"

The old man looked up from his cup. "You know you can speak freely in front of me, Nagato."

The red-haired young man squared his shoulders. "Why do you want Jiraiya-sensei to be here for this?"

Kenjiro's expression didn't change, although his mouth curved upward in an almost imperceptible smirk. "To give him some incentive."

Yahiko frowned at the old man's cryptic response. He opened his mouth to ask something, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

The smirk vanished from the old man's face, leaving it completely blank. "Enter."

Konan walked into the Head of Uzushio's office, followed closely by a tall, broad-shouldered man with an unruly mane of white hair that was tied in a ponytail.

The white-haired man beamed at them. "Nagato! Yahiko! It's been a long time."

Nagato ginned back at his sensei. "It has, Jiraiya-sensei. It's good to see you again."

Yahiko nodded in agreement. "Eight years now, sensei." He pouted in mock outrage. "You could have sent us a letter."

Jiraiya's grin turned awkward. "Yeah, I've been getting that a lot, lately."

"For good reason," Kaji muttered under his breath.

"For good reason," Jiraiya agreed solemnly.

Nagato exchanged a puzzled look with Yahiko; then, both of them turned to look at Konan, hoping she would explain what had happened in the weeks they had been away.

She gave them a reassuring nod that everything was fine and a look that promised she was going to explain later.

That was good enough for Nagato. When Kenjiro had informed him and Yahiko that Jiraiya was going to visit Uzushio, both young men had been worried about their old sensei's health. The Whirlpool wasn't a safe place for outsiders – especially if they had managed to gain the ire of one of the clans.

The Toad Sage gave Yahiko a puzzled once-over, before doing the same to Nagato. "Is there a war going on that I haven't heard of?"

Both young men briefly examined their, by now, well-worn garments before glancing at each other.

"What, these?" Yahiko pointed at the numerous pouches clasped on his belt and the kunai sheathes strapped to each of his thighs. Considering that he also had a sword strapped across his back, along with several other weapons concealed inside his clothes – and that Nagato was similarly well-armed, minus the sword – Jiraiya's inquiry wasn't entirely unmerited. "No, these are for our last mission."

"I thought you were on a search and rescue mission," Jiraiya said.

"We were." Yahiko grimaced and glanced at Kenjiro.

"Now that we're all here," the old man began, looking between the five of them, "you can give us your report." He set his teacup aside. "Don't leave out any details, no matter how unimportant they may seem."

Yahiko's brow furrowed slightly in confusion, but he didn't ask for clarification. "At your request, Kenjiro-sama, Nagato and I left Uzushio in search of Takashio Akio's missing squad…"

 **-XOXO-**

"Otogakure," Jiraiya said, repeating the unfamiliar name Yahiko had just mentioned. "I've heard rumors about it, but nothing indicating that it has already been founded."

"It hasn't yet," Yahiko said. "There were several camps across the Land of Rice Paddies, but none of them was significant enough to function as the base of operations for a Hidden Village."

"There must be another one somewhere," Kaji said.

"That's what we thought as well," the orange-haired jounin said, "but none of the shinobi we interrogated knew anything about it."

"They could have been lying to you," Jiraiya pointed out.

"No, they couldn't have," Nagato said in a cold, emotionless tone that made Kaji shiver. He had seen the Rinnegan bearer extract information from an enemy once; it wasn't a sight he wanted to witness again any time soon.

Jiraiya raised a perplexed eyebrow at his former student, but didn't press him for details. "And Orochimaru is behind this." He shook his head in disgust. "I should have known he would crawl out of his hidey-hole sooner or later."

"He has killed four of my people," Kaji's father said. "I trust that Sarutobi won't take offense if my hunter-nin found him before Konoha's did."

"Would it matter even if he did?" Jiraiya asked belligerently.

"No."

Kaji suppressed a smirk at his father's blunt response. "What happens now?"

"We watch," Kenjiro said. "We find out as much as we can about Otogakure. And we wait."

"For what?" Yahiko asked, puzzled.

"For Orochimaru to make a mistake."

"When that happens," Jiraiya said, "you can count on my help. He's dragged the name of the Sannin through the mud long enough."

Kenjiro inclined his head to the Toad Sannin, accepting his offer of help. "I appreciate it, Jiraiya."

Kaji nodded his own thanks, carefully schooling his features into an expression of gratitude; more than two decades of watching his father 'negotiating' with foreign dignitaries had taught him to flawlessly control his facial muscles.

Jiraiya hadn't realized it yet – and probably wouldn't for some time – but he had just played straight into the old man's hands.

 **-XOXO-**

Karin wiped the tears from her eyes with the hem of her sleeve and released her hold on her knees. She tried to stretch her legs, but after hours of staying curled up in a tight little ball her joints ached and her muscles felt cramped. She stood up, but grimaced as pain shot up her legs. Gritting her teeth, she ignored it and started walking towards the door.

She couldn't keep hiding in her room forever.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and headed towards the garden.

"How long has she been up there?"

The sound of Honoka's soft voice made Karin pause outside Naruto's favorite sitting room.

"Ever since Grandfather told her the news."

"It's awful." Honoka's voice caught at the last syllable. "I can't believe that Hisa-san is gone."

"I'll miss her," Naruto said.

Karin blinked fresh tears away.

"I'll miss her, too," Honoka said quietly.

"I didn't know her–" A yelp of pain cut off whatever Kimimaro was about to say next.

" _Kimimaro!_ " Honoka hissed.

Karin's mouth twitched from a fleeting smile. She might not be able to see what her friends were doing, but she was certain that Naruto had just kicked Kimimaro on the shin.

"–But I'm sorry she's gone," Kimimaro concluded. "I don't like seeing you all so sad," he added in an undertone.

Karin stepped away from the door; she didn't feel ready to talk to her friends just yet.

She headed outside the house, to the training dummies the behind the dojo. Karin tilted her head slightly to the side as she examined the closest one. It was a rough, vaguely human-shaped block of wood, riddled with dents and scratches from the years of use. Just yesterday, Kimimaro had added a few new marks on it with his bone daggers.

The red-haired girl narrowed her eyes. She created two chakra chains – something she had never managed to do before – and wrapped them around the dummy. With a flick of her wrist, the dummy was torn to small chunks of wood.

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and let the chains fade into nothingness.

One day, the man who had hurt her mother was going to be in the dummy's place.

And she wasn't going to use only two chains.

 **-XOXO-**

"Again!"

Naruto raised his sword in the 'ready' stance and prepared to defend himself against his uncle'ss attack.

A few strikes later, he found the tip of his uncle's sword a few centimeters away from his eyes.

"Focus, Naruto." Kaji drew back the sword and took a few steps back. "Again."

Naruto took a deep breath and nodded, trying to empty his mind of everything except the blunted weapon he was holding in his hands.

This time, it took only a couple of blows before the sword's point was resting against his heart.

Kaji lowered the blunted blade. "…Perhaps we should take a break and continue in a few minutes."

The eight-year-old boy grimaced and nodded, plopping down on the ground with an irritated grunt. From somewhere on the other side of the yard that doubled as a training ground, he could hear Karin and Kimimaro sparring with each other. Judging by Karin's increasingly louder battle cries, Kimimaro was winning. Again. ' _At least someone's training is going well today,_ ' he thought sullenly.

"Would you like to tell me what's bothering you, kid?"

Naruto blinked and lifted his gaze from the ground; his uncle was sitting across from him, looking at him with a worried expression on his face.

"Nothing's bothering me, Uncle."

Kaji raised an eyebrow, obviously unconvinced. "You haven't scored a single hit against me yet."

The blond boy shrugged, trying to make the motion as casual as possible. "I've never won any of our matches."

"Not winning and not being able to block more three hits in a row are two entirely different things, Naruto." The dark-haired man leaned forward slightly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Naruto insisted.

"Don't lie to me, kid," his uncle scolded him. "For one thing, you're not as good at it as you think you are."

Any other day, Naruto would have cheekily asked his uncle to list all the other reasons he shouldn't lie to him. Instead, he lowered his head to examine his hands.

The boy glanced up briefly, opened his mouth, closed it again, and frowned slightly. This wasn't something he could just blurt out. The only reason he was even aware of his…– of what he truly was, was because he had snuck into the great library. It was one of the few rules his uncle had set for him, and he had broken it.

"What happened, Naruto?" Kaji asked softly.

"Am I a jinchuuriki, Uncle?" Naruto winced inwardly; so much for delicacy.

Kaji's back straightened; suddenly, he was looking as alert as he did when they were sparring. "Where did you hear that word?"

"I read it in one of the books in the library." The boy focused determinedly on his hands, fully expecting to be yelled at for breaking that rule.

His uncle didn't scold him; instead, he was watching him intently, waiting for him to continue.

"I was curious about the seal on my belly." Naruto placed his hand over the place the intricate geometric drawing that appeared every time he channeled his chakra. He had been asking about it for years, but all his grandfather would say was that he'd learn what it was when he was old enough to understand the seal's purpose.

Unfortunately, patience had never been an Uzumaki trait – and Naruto was no exception to that rule. "I wanted to know what it was, and nobody would tell me, so I began looking in the seal index in the library.

"Once I figured out that it's an _Eight Trigrams Seal_ , the rest was easy." Despite what his discovery would mean for him, Naruto was proud of himself for having solved this puzzle all on his own. "I just found the right section and went through every book in it."

"And I suppose those fools guarding the entrance didn't notice you strolling through there," Kaji said; Naruto would bet that those guys were going to be in a lot of trouble later.

"So… Is it true, Uncle?"

"You being a jinchuuriki?" Kaji sighed and muttered something that sounded a lot like 'where's Father when I need him?' under his breath. "Yes."

"I see," was all Naruto could say; this changed everything.

"No, I don't think you do," Kaji said. "You, Naruto, are the third vessel of the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"Third?"

Kaji nodded. "The first was Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the First Hokage. The second was your mother, Kushina."

Naruto felt his jaw drop at the mention of his mother's name. "Mom was a jinchuuriki, too?"

"Yes." Kaji laced his fingers together. "When Mito-sama was nearing the end of her life, the Uzumaki clan was asked for someone to take on her burden." The dark-haired man glanced at his clasped hands. "Kushina was chosen."

"Why?" Naruto asked, aghast.

According to several of the books he had read, most jinchuuriki didn't lead happy lives. They had to keep the demon sealed inside them under control while enduring the mistrust of the people around them. Naruto himself had experienced this first-hand back in Konoha – even though he hadn't known why he was being treated like that at the time. To think that his mother had gone through the same thing – and that his grandfather hadn't prevented it from happening…

"Because Kenshin-nii-sama was too old to become a jinchuuriki, and Kaito-nii-san and I weren't strong enough to keep the Kyuubi in check."

Naruto stared speechlessly at his uncle.

"Did you think that choosing someone to become the living prison of an immensely powerful demon is _simple_?" his uncle asked.

Wasn't it? "The books said–"

"I know what they say," Kaji scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "Choose someone, apply the seal, and hope for the best." He scoffed again. "If only it were that easy.

"First and foremost, the host's chakra must resonate with the Tailed Beast's, otherwise the seal will fail. There are other factors, of course, but resonance is the key."

"What are the other factors?" Naruto asked, choosing to ignore the fact that his chakra was in any way similar to a Demon's.

"Age is also important," Kaji said. "The younger a jinchuuriki is when the seal in applied to them, the better their control over the Tailed Beast's chakra will be."

Naruto shuddered as he remembered the voice he had heard three years ago and the red chakra it had offered him.

"There's also the amount of chakra the host-to be possesses. It has to be enough to power the seal and keep the Tailed Beast imprisoned.

"Then, there's a person's moral fiber." His uncle grimaced. "Although that's much harder to judge than age or chakra reserves."

Naruto blinked in surprise. "What does moral fiber have to do with imprisoning a Demon?"

"It has everything to do with it," Kaji said. "All jinchuuriki, even those who never learn to control their Beast's chakra, wield power great enough to level entire mountains. Would you trust that kind of power to just anyone?"

"No," Naruto said quietly. _'Of course not.'_

"A Tailed Beast's host is almost always chosen from among the Kage's family," his uncle continued. "That way, their loyalty to their village is all but guaranteed."

"So Mom was chosen…" Naruto paused as he thought it over. His dad hadn't become the Fourth Hokage until he was in his twenties, and his parents had gotten married shortly before that. "…Why was she chosen? She wasn't the Hokage's wife back then."

Kaji gave him a mirthless smile. "You're right; back then, Kushina was a foreigner to Konoha, not to mention the daughter of another Hidden Village's Head.

"The second jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi should have been one of the Senju. However, Mito-sama's grandchildren weren't suited for the task; neither were the few other Senju who had managed to survive past the First Shinobi World War. So it was decided that it would be for the best if another Uzumaki was chosen.

"Ostensibly, it was because our overabundance of chakra would make it easier for the new host to keep the Kyuubi under control." Kaji let out a disdainful snort. "But the truth is that the Third Hokage didn't want to upset the… _delicate_ relations between the Uchiha and the Hyuuga clans by giving one of them access to the Kyuubi's power."

"Because of their moral fiber?" Naruto asked, trying to wrap his head around all the new information his uncle was offering him while at the same time doing his best to recall his lessons on Konoha's most notable clans.

The Uchiha possessed the Sharingan – along with a giant chip on their collective shoulders, if Yahiko was to be believed. The Hyuuga had the Byakugan, and a chip to rival the Uchiha's. And the Senju were...

Ugh. He'd need to look the Senju clan up later.

"More like their lack of one," his uncle scoffed. "I've met some decent Hyuuga and a few decent Uchiha, but the majority of them wouldn't hesitate to screw their rivals over in order to gain more personal power."

Naruto nodded absently; while interesting, that didn't answer his most second most important question. "But… How did _I_ become a jinchuuriki?"

"Short version?" his uncle asked. "Kushina's seal failed and Minato sealed the rampaging Kyuubi inside you in order to save Konoha."

"Why?"

Kaji's knuckles turned white; it looked like his fingers were about to snap. "All we know is that someone killed the midwives–"

"Not _that_ ," Naruto interjected, although he _was_ curious to know what had happened that night. "Why did my dad do this to me?"

"I already explained why, Naruto," Kaji said softly. "Minato trusted you with the Kyuubi's power because he believed that you wouldn't abuse it."

"How would _you_ know that? You weren't there."

"I knew my sister and my brother-in-law. And I know that they both wanted only the best for you."

Naruto looked at his hands, trying to sort out the mess in his head. Parents were supposed to protect their children, not turn them into vessels for all-powerful, hateful demons. Everything he had gone thought when he was little was–

 _Was_ it his father's fault?

His father wasn't the one who had been treating him like a monster; the people of Konoha had done that. His father had died trying to save him. He had entrusted him with the power of a Tailed Beast, even though he had been only a newborn at the time.

In a way, it was comforting to think that his father had so much faith in him.

' _I wish I could have met them_.' If only so he could punch his father for sealing the Kyuubi inside him. And hug his mother. Maybe he'd hug his father as well – after giving him another punch, just to drive his point home.

"…Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" If he hadn't found out the truth by accident… "Where you even going to tell me?"

"Father and I never planned to keep this a secret, Naruto, but we were..." His uncle briefly glanced at him before averting his eyes. "…We were afraid you'd think we only wanted you here because of the Kyuubi."

Naruto stared unblinkingly at his uncle. Then, he sprang from his seat and tackled the dark-haired man into a hug.

He felt tears welling up in his eyes when his uncle returned the hug.

"Guess we were worried for nothing, huh?" Kaji asked softly.

Naruto, who had buried his face in the crook of his uncle's neck, simply nodded in agreement.

 **-XOXO-**

Naruto found himself standing on a platform in the middle of an expanse of water too calm to be called an ocean but far too vast to be a lake. The air smelled fresh and salty, as if he were standing near the sea, but something made him feel that he was inside a cave – or maybe even underground.

' _What is this place?_ '

He walked to the edge of the platform, but couldn't see any other roads. Still, the water didn't look too deep.

With a resigned sigh, he took a step into the water, which turned out to be only ankle-deep, and was nearly thrown off-balance when a tile under his foot moved, rising to the same height as the platform.

A few more tiles emerged from the water, forming a path towards… somewhere.

' _Right._ ' This place was definitely weird.

His grandfather had warned him about that. Mindscapes were unpredictable, shaped by the experiences of each person, reflecting their mental state and changing according to their whims. As long as he was here, he could do anything he wanted. Unfortunately, that didn't extend to the space he shared with the Kyuubi.

 _Fortunately,_ the Kyuubi was imprisoned behind the seal, so he'd still have the upper hand. Or, at least, so he hoped.

After a couple of minutes of following the narrow path, the area around him changed, beginning to resemble a cave – assuming that a space larger than his entire house could even be called that. A few minutes later, he found himself in front of a wooden gate kept closed by a paper tag with the kanji for 'seal' written on it.

' _So that's the seal.'_ Too bad he couldn't remove the tag to get a good look at it.

Naruto took a deep breath. "Hey! Kyuubi!"

A pair of blood-red eyes opened behind the wooden gate, fixating on him. They were so far above him that he had to crane his neck in order to return the look.

 **"What do you want, brat?"** the demon asked, somehow managing to sound both annoyed and bored at the same time.

"I'm here to talk to you."

The demon remained silent.

"I want to have access to your chakra," he said before the demon's gaze fully eroded his confidence.

The blood-red eyes came closer to the wooden gate, revealing the massive head of a fox. It had long ears, almost like a rabbit's, and black markings around its eyes. Naruto's attention, however, was caught by the fox's fangs, each as long as his arm. The fact that they were on display because of the predatory grin the fox was giving him did nothing to make him feel better.

The fox grabbed one of the wooden door's bars with his right forepaw, drawing Naruto's attention back to the _Seal_ paper tag.

The demon lowered his head and gave Naruto a searching look. **"Why do you want my chakra, brat? Your life isn't in danger right now."**

Naruto just shrugged in response; he knew better than to tell the Kyuubi that his Grandfather wanted him to familiarize himself with its chakra.

 **"That's a first,"** the fox chuckled; the low, gravely sound unnerved Naruto even more than that 'smile'.

"It is?" Naruto asked, surprise momentarily overcoming his growing apprehension.

 **"No-one has ever just** **asked** **me for my chakra before."**

"Well, I am." Naruto clasped his hands over his chest – to appear more intimidating and definitely not because the demon's proximity was starting to make him really nervous – and gave the fox a determined, I'm-not-going-anywhere look.

The fox released the wooden bar, crossed his forepaws and rested his head on top of them. **"I might be willing to help you."**

"But…?"

 **"But you have to offer me something in return."**

"I don't have to offer you anything!" Naruto said. "My seal, _my_ rules."

 **"And how will you make me obey your rules, brat?"** the fox asked mockingly.

Naruto opened his mouth, blinked at the demon, and closed it again.

 **"You can't force me to obey you yet, and since our continued existence isn't threatened, I'm not inclined to offer you my chakra."** The fox yawned and closed his eyes. **"Now go away; you're interrupting my nap."**

Naruto bristled inwardly, but somehow managed to stop himself from yelling at the fox. "What do you want?"

The demon kept his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep.

 _'Stupid fox! Nobody falls asleep that fast.'_

"…I'm not setting you free, if that's what you're asking" Naruto mumbled sullenly.

The demon let out a breath that sounded a lot like a snore.

An idea – a crazy idea which violated all common sense along with his self-preservation instinct – came to him. It was completely insane; even a desperate man would cringe in fear at the mere thought of acting on it.

But Naruto wasn't going to fail the task his grandfather had given him just because the Kyuubi was being stubborn. He was an Uzumaki; stubbornness was in his blood.

"However…" He clenched his fists; no chickening out now. "…If you lend me your chakra, you'll have more opportunities to attempt to take over my body."

The utter insanity of his proposal struck him the moment the final words left his mouth.

The Kyuubi's eyes shot open; from his expression, Naruto was willing to bet that if his jaw hadn't been supported by his forepaws, it would have been decorating the floor right now.

The silence stretched on for several moments, before it was broken by the demon's uproarious laughter.

 **"Very well,"** the Kyuubi said after he managed to compose himself again; a tendril of red chakra began flowing from him towards the boy. **"I'll lend you my chakra."**

Naruto briefly wondered if it was too late to say that he had changed his mind.

The thought was driven out of his mind the moment the tendril of red chakra wrapped itself around him. He had almost forgotten what it felt like: power unlike anything he could achieve on his own, along with the sense that he was invincible.

It was incredible.

Terrifying, now that he knew to whom this power really belonged, but still incredible.

 **"You're a strange one, brat,"** the Kyuubi muttered as quietly as a twenty meter tall fox could – which was: not at all.

Naruto didn't have time to answer before the demon's cage faded away.

The next heartbeat, he was in the back yard of his home, with his grandfather and his uncle standing a few meters in front of him.

His uncle was beaming at him. "Congratulations, kid! You did it."

"That was very well done, Naruto," his grandfather agreed, smiling just as broadly as his uncle.

Naruto became aware of the fact that he was surrounded by an aura of red chakra. Curious, he lifted his right hand to examine it more closely; his eyes widened when he noticed the elongated fingernails.

' _More like claws.'_ His left hand was the same. "How do I look?"

His uncle came closer and wordlessly handed him a small mirror.

It wasn't that bad, Naruto thought as he examined his reflection. Fangs and demonic red eyes aside, his face hadn't changed at all. Even as he was looking, his features began returning to normal as the red chakra started fading away. Soon, a pair of blue eyes was staring back at him.

He returned the mirror to his uncle.

"How did your conversation with the Kyuubi go, Naruto?" his grandfather asked.

"It went alright." The boy quickly narrated the details of his bargain with the demon.

By the time he was done, both his grandfather and his uncle were looking at him as if he had grown a pair of pointy fox ears. "…What?"

Kenjiro sighed and gently massaged his forehead. "While effective, your proposal leaves much to be desired where your safety is concerned."

"It's the craziest thing I've ever heard," Kaji said bluntly. "It makes my brothers' infiltration of Kumo seem sane in comparison."

"But Grandfather," Naruto began, "you told me that in order for a negotiation to be successful, one must be willing to give up something the other party wants."

" _Only_ when the relinquished item or service won't be detrimental to your success or even jeopardize your life," his grandfather reminded him in exasperation.

 _'Oops.'_ Naruto had completely forgotten about that part.

"Nevertheless," Kenjiro added, "the terms are acceptable. The Kyuubi would have tried to take control of you body regardless of your current agreement. Remember, child," his grandfather said softly, "he doesn't have any power over you unless you let him."

"I remember."

"And now that you have been reacquainted with the Fox's chakra," Kenjiro said, "it's time to tell you the only rule about using it."

Naruto nodded and stared eagerly at his grandfather.

"You will never use it again."

"What?!"

"Unless," his grandfather added, raising his voice, "you find yourself in a life-threatening situation which you can't overcome by using only your own power."

"But…" Naruto gaped at his grandfather, trying to find the words to express his indignation. "But then why did I go to all the trouble of asking the Kyuubi for his chakra?"

"Because, child, as I said, the Kyuubi will try to take over your body," Kenjiro reminded him patiently. "In the heat of battle, when you're angry – or even frustrated – and desperate to win, he will offer you his chakra in order to assist you.

"You must refuse," the old man said firmly. "When you feel the Kyuubi's chakra trying to overwhelm yours, you must refuse his 'help'. Or you risk losing yourself."

"And if I can't win on my own?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Then you must be wary, child."

Naruto lowered his gaze to his sandals. "…I just have to train and become stronger, then."

His uncle nodded in agreement and offered him a brief smile. "We'll start tomorrow."

 **-XOXO-**

Kiba was twirling the battle-worn kunai from the ring on its hilt with a savage grin on his face, looking for all the world like he was accustomed to holding sharp, pointy instruments of death.

In Shikamaru's opinion, he was looking completely ridiculous.

"Watch it," the ten-year-old Nara told his reckless classmate. "I don't want to end up in the hospital because of your showing off."

If he'd wanted to dodge kunai, then he wouldn't have skipped class along with the others.

Kiba shot him a sullen look, but he stop twirling the kunai, choosing to hold it in a reverse grip, instead. Shikamaru didn't consider it much of an improvement.

Chouji didn't say anything; he was too busy eating his way through the… Shikamaru couldn't say with certainty; he had lost count of the number of bags of potato chips his big-boned best friend had devoured in the short time the three boys had been here.

"You're just jealous that you don't have a kunai like this one, Shikamaru," Kiba said with a feral smirk that exposed his canines.

"You're right," Shikamaru drawled, trying to make himself more comfortable on the log that served as his seat. "Who wouldn't want a discarded kunai with a damaged seal carved on it?"

"It's a chakra blade with a Fire seal inscribed on it by the seal masters of the Uzumaki clan," Kiba spat through clenched teeth.

"It's a kunai whose seal has been damaged beyond repair," Shikamaru insisted.

It wasn't the first such weapon Shikamaru had seen. In the five years since the alliance between Konoha and Uzushio had been disbanded, a large number of otherwise perfectly serviceable seal-inscribed weapons and armor had been taken out of commission, having fallen in disrepair since there wasn't anyone in Konoha who could fix the seals on them. No-one was stupid enough to tamper with the Uzumaki clan's fuuinjutsu.

"It's still better than a regular kunai," Kiba scoffed.

The ponytailed Nara stared at his classmate, wondering briefly if Kiba really was that ignorant.

"It's dangerous, Kiba," Shikamaru said, trying to talk some sense into his friend. "You should throw it away."

Chouji nodded in agreement and gulped down the rest of his potato chips. "My dad says that it's better to have an ordinary weapon than one that'll backfire on you."

Or blow you up when you tried to use it. Or just plain not work when you wanted it to. Once a seal was damaged, there was no telling exactly how it would react if one tried pouring chakra into it. The safest thing to do was to just throw the seal-inscribed item away.

Kiba narrowed his eyes at the two more level-headed boys. "Feh. Just watch."

Shikamaru's shadow barely managed to reach Kiba and bind him before the tattooed boy began channeling his chakra into the kunai.

Apparently, Kiba and the notion of safety had never been introduced.

"Are you trying to get us killed?" Shikamaru demanded in a tone that hadn't sounded so high-pitched inside his head.

"Hey! Let go of me!" Kiba yelled indignantly.

Chouji reached out and pried the kunai from the Inuzuka's hand. "It's for your own good, Kiba."

Shikamaru released his foolish classmate once the rotund boy was safely out of Kiba's reach. "Thanks, Chouji."

Kiba glowered at them and muttered a number of words that would get Shikamaru grounded for a month – _minimum_ – if he dared to repeat them in front of his mother.

Chouji was examining the kunai, although his cheeks had turned bright red by the string of profanities. "It _is_ a good kunai." He looked up at the Inuzuka. "Where did you get it?"

"From a pile of stuff my mom meant to throw away," Kiba admitted, growing a bit red in the face.

"And you still tried to use it?" Shikamaru asked incredulously. He felt like punching Kiba, but that would mean he'd have to stand up and walk all the way to the other boy.

Judging by the look on Chouji's face, he was thinking somewhere along the same lines, even though he was incapable of hurting one of his friends. It was one of the few times Shikamaru wished that the Akimichi was a little less kindhearted.

"…I just think that it's a waste to throw away a perfectly good weapon because of a damaged seal," Kiba muttered, keeping his gaze away from his classmates.

"Then try to get an Uzumaki to fix it," Shikamaru drawled. Going to the Whirlpool to find an Uzumaki seal master would be marginally less dangerous than using a chakra blade with a broken seal.

"Yeah, like _that_ 'll happen," Kiba snorted. "Those bastards left us on our own, remember?"

Shikamaru furrowed his brow; how could he forget? He could see the effects of Uzushio breaking away from Konoha first hand. The Nara and Yamanaka clans, who relied mostly on their ninjutsu, hadn't been quite as affected as the Akimichi clan, whose weapons and armor had been steadily breaking down in the five years since the alliance had been dissolved, but they hadn't come out unscathed, either.

But Konoha's biggest problem wasn't that they couldn't get their old equipment repaired.

It was that Suna and Kumo were slowly beginning to arm themselves with seal-inscribed weapons in pristine condition while Konoha's remaining ones were being systematically worn down in small, unimportant skirmishes.

And, unless his father was wrong, it was only a matter of time before the Kazekage or the Raikage decided to press their advantage.

 **-XOXO-**

 _"Are you the Uzumaki seal master?"_

 _The black-haired man tore his gaze away from the Kazekage's residence and lowered it to the voice's owner. His eyebrows shot up and his dark blue eyes widened slightly as he examined the small, red-haired boy that had called out to him._

 _Gaara flinched inwardly; the man clearly knew what he was._

 _"I am." The man swung his legs down from the bench he had been reclining on and lowered his head to the boy's level, placing his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. "And you're Gaara, aren't you?"_

 _Gaara nodded and clutched the shabby stuffed bear closer to his body. He had been waiting for days for the opportunity to talk to this man when Yashamaru wouldn't be nearby._

 _"…Can I help you with something, Gaara?" the dark-haired man asked politely._

 _"Can you fix me?" the boy whispered._

 _"Fix–" The man's eyebrows shot up again. "I'm sorry, what?!"_

 _"You can lock the Demon away and make me normal, can't you?" Gaara pleaded. "Everyone says that I'm a monster, but you can fix that!"_

 _His father had once said, when he thought that Gaara was out of earshot, that his son was too far gone and that only an Uzumaki could help him now. And when the black-haired man had arrived in Suna a few days ago, Yashamaru had begged the Kazekage to let the Uzumaki envoy study Gaara's seal. But his father had refused, saying that it was a secret they couldn't share with a foreigner._

 _Gaara, however, couldn't stay idle. Not when there was a chance to be like all the other kids._

 _The black-haired man's expression darkened; Gaara took an involuntary step back._

 _Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the man's scowl vanished. "Who is this 'everyone' and what does he know of fuuinjutsu?"_

 _Gaara blinked at the black-clad man. "…It isn't…"_

 _"Oh, so Everyone is a woman, then?" the Uzumaki envoy scoffed; the red-haired boy grinned faintly when he saw the mischievous glint in the man's blue eyes. "I'm still not impressed."_

 _"Can you fix me?" Gaara repeated, more confidently this time._

 _"There's nothing to 'fix', kid," the man said. "There's nothing wrong with you."_

 _"But I can't control my sand!" Gaara yelled; the Uzumaki had to help him, he_ had _to! "I don't want to keep hurting people."_

 _The black-haired man extended his hand as if to ruffle Gaara's hair, but pulled it back with a startled yelp as sand rushed to cover the boy's head._

 _Gaara gasped when he saw that the man's glove was torn and the exposed skin was covered in deep scratches. "I'm sorry! I'm so–"_

 _"Nah, don't worry about it," the black-haired man said, cutting the boy's frantic apologies off with a dismissive wave of his uninjured hand. "It'll heal up in a few hours."_

 _"It…It will?"_

 _The man nodded and grinned at him. "Uzumaki heal pretty fast." His grin faded. "Gaara, could I take a look at your seal, please?"_

 _Gaara nodded excitedly and exposed the seal on his belly. His uncle would be disappointed at him and his father would be furious, but if the Uzumaki envoy succeeded in making him normal, it would be worth it._

 _The black-haired man examined the seal in complete silence. Gaara stood as still as possible, watching the man's expression change as he studied the ink drawing. He only hoped that Yashamaru wouldn't return from his work earlier than normal; his father was always away and his siblings stayed away from him, so they weren't going to interrupt._

 _"Huh," the man said after several minutes had passed. "That's unusual."_

 _"What is?" Gaara asked._

 _"This." The black-haired man pointed at a scribble that, as far as Gaara was concerned, was no different from the others; this time he was careful to keep his fingers a few centimeters away from the boy's skin. "It isolates a specific part of the Ichibi's chakra._

 _"From a technical standpoint, it isn't_ wrong _per se, but the wording is awkward to say the least," the man muttered to himself. "An Uzumaki would never try such a thing, as it's risky at best, but it's working." He grimaced as he flexed his injured hand. "Perhaps a little too well._

 _"Though it's clearly the work of an amateur – or a hobbyist," he added with a disapproving humph._

 _"What does it do?" Gaara asked, hoping he'd get a better answer this time._

 _"Hmm?" The black-haired man blinked and lifted his gaze to the boy's eyes. "Oh. It allows you to control a portion of the Ichibi's power at will. From the looks of it, I'd say that it's his ability to manipulate sand."_

 _"But…" Gaara winced as he glanced at the black-haired Uzumaki's injured hand. "…But I can't control it."_

 _"Of course you can't," the man said matter-of-factly. "You're still… Four years old? Five?"_

 _"Five," Gaara said._

 _"Well, there you go then," the Uzumaki said with a nod._

 _"…I don't understand." What did that have to do with him being a monster? How would that help?_

 _"It's a skill like any other, Gaara," the black-haired man explained patiently. "You just have to learn how to use it." He hummed thoughtfully. "Why don't you try making a sand whirlwind? A small one," he added hastily._

 _"A whirlwind?"_

 _The Uzumaki envoy nodded in agreement. "It's a good exercise."_

 _"This will help me?" Gaara asked dubiously._

 _The black-haired Uzumaki nodded again. "You'll see. Try it."_

 _"Gaara," a stern, disapproving, familiar voice called._

 _The boy let his shirt fall, covering his seal, and turned to face his father. He winced when he saw the look on the Kazekage's face._

 _He was in big trouble._

 _"Kazekage-sama," the black-haired Uzumaki said, straightening his back but not rising from his seat._

 _"Kaji-san," the Kazekage said icily. "I see you've met my youngest child."_

 _"I'm glad I did," Kaji said just as icily. "He's much better company than the rest of the people here."_

 _The Kazekage's eyes never left the Uzumaki's. "Is that so?"_

 _A hint of the anger Gaara had seen earlier reappeared on the black-haired man's face. "I don't like the way they're behaving towards an innocent child."_

 _The Kazekage grimaced as if he'd been struck. "They have their reasons."_

 _"I don't like the way_ you _'re behaving towards Gaara, either."_

 _Gaara gaped at Kaji. Nobody had_ ever _talked to his father like that on his behalf; not even Yashamaru._

 _The Kazekage glared at Kaji and opened his mouth to respond, but the Uzumaki envoy beat him to it._

 _"I'll be honest with you, Rasa-sama." Kaji stood up; Gaara was surprised by how intimidating he appeared to be all of a sudden. "If Uzushio didn't need Suna's help, I'd have walked out of here the moment I heard some ass calling Gaara a monster._

 _"I still might," he added menacingly. "We don't need you_ that _much. But you, you need us."_

 _From the look on his father's face, Gaara realized that Kaji's words were closer to the truth than anyone in Suna would ever admit._

 _"So I suggest taking some steps to improve your children's life." Kaji showed his teeth in a way that wasn't really a smile. "Just a friendly word of advice."_

 _The not-smile was replaced by a warm and kind one when Kaji turned to look at Gaara again. "Remember your exercises, kid."_

 _With a friendly nod to Gaara and a curt one to his father, Kaji left the two of them alone._

 _"Arrogant bastard," the Kazekage spat through his teeth, shooting a scathing look at the Uzumaki's backside. His glare mellowed somewhat as he looked at Gaara. "What did he mean by 'exercises'?"_

 _Gaara didn't respond; he simply lifted his hands at chest level, palms apart but facing each other, and tried to create a small sand whirlwind._

 _He cried out in joy when a tiny, ragged mass of sand appeared between his palms. It could only be considered a whirlwind because it was lazily spinning around – it wasn't even staying at one point – but he had done it. He had really done it!_

 _Gaara looked up at his father and smiled hesitantly at him._

 _His father returned the look; for once, his expression was hopeful instead of disapproving._

 **-X-**

Gaara kept his eyes closed, trying to preserve his father's expression for as long as possible in his memory, but the dream was already fading away. With a sigh of regret, the twelve-year-old boy opened his eyes and sat up on his bed.

He extended his right hand, palm up, and created a small sand whirlwind.

Unlike his first ever attempt, this one was perfect. Exactly ten centimeters tall and four centimeters wide, spinning slowly at the center of his palm. With barely a thought, the whirlwind started spinning increasingly faster and became fifteen centimeters tall, but remained four centimeters wide.

He still remembered his father's smile when he had first shown him how he could change the sand whirlwind's dimensions and rotation speed at will six years ago. His father's earnest praise when he had done the same with a much larger sand whirlwind outside their home four years ago. Kankuro cheering him on and Temari smiling at him when he had tried to demonstrate a giant sand wave at them. The way both of them had assured him that it everything was fine when that sand wave had gotten out of his control and had knocked them down. That it wasn't his fault. That he'd do better next time.

And he did do better.

He had trained endlessly for months until he could control the sand wave without using any hand gestures. Then, he had trained even longer until he could turn the wave into a whirlwind – or any other shape he wanted.

He was Gaara of the desert. Every grain of sand was under his control.

Smiling to himself, he dispelled the small sand whirlwind by closing his hand.

 **-XOXO-**

Breakfast in the Kazekage's residence was always a quiet affair – just the way Temari liked it. Unless, of course, Gaara was using his sand to discreetly rearrange the tableware in order to annoy Kankuro.

Like he was doing right now.

Kankuro reached out to his water glass without looking up from his designs for his newest puppet, but frowned in confusion when he only grasped empty air instead of a porcelain cup. He glanced suspiciously at Gaara, who was seemingly busy peeling an egg. With an obvious mental shrug, Kankuro picked up his glass and raised it to his lips.

Temari suppressed a smile; she wondered how long it would take him to notice what was going on.

She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment Gaara had decided that messing with his older brother by moving his stuff around was funny, but she was glad he had. It was a marked improvement over his behavior when they were little. There had been a time when she'd been afraid of Gaara – or, more specifically, of his sand. Now, however, the sand was anything but terrifying; Kankuro often went as far as to call it annoying.

She lifted her own water glass to cover her grin when she saw the platter with the toasted bread gliding smoothly towards her and the fruit platter taking its place.

Kankuro, too busy scribbling something on his papers, reached out to grab a slice of toasted bread this time. Instead, his hand closed around a tangerine. He blinked at the small orange fruit, looked at the bread platter, and finally put two and two together.

"Gaara!" Kankuro yelled indignantly. "Why do you keep doing this?"

Gaara didn't look up from his half-eaten egg. "You focus too much on your puppets, Kankuro."

The sound of the doorbell went unnoticed by both boys; with a small sigh, Temari stood up and went to answer the door.

Kankuro dropped the tangerine back in the fruit platter and pointed angrily at Gaara. "You're never doing this to Temari when she's studying!"

"That's because she always figures it out," Gaara replied evenly.

Kankuro's reply came muffled as she exited the kitchen, although there was no mistaking his tone.

"Good morning, Temari." Yashamaru tilted his head as the sound of the boys' voices reached him. "Another argument?" he asked amiably.

Temari grimaced and moved to the side, wordlessly inviting her uncle in. "Looks like it. Good morning, uncle."

Yashamaru chuckled. "They'll get over it. I can't stay; I just dropped by to give this to you."

Temari took the heavy-looking folder her uncle was holding out to her.

"The other candidates for this year's chuunin exams." He tapped the folder lightly. "I think you'll find the last entry intriguing."

Puzzled – and more than a little curious – Temari flipped through the pages until she reached the last entry.

 _'Uzushiogakure?'_ Now this was a surprise. Uzushio hadn't taken part in the chuunin exams ever since they had cut off all ties with Konoha.

"They're sending a team this year," her uncle said, answering her unspoken question. "The first after seven years of absence from the exams."

Temari frowned and turned to the next page.

 _Kaguya Kimimaro_. Last scion of an extinct clan of Kirigakure, ward to the Uzumaki main family, and most likely possessing the Kaguya clan's kekkei genkai.

 _Uzumaki Karin_. Daughter of a prodigious medical ninja. Also a ward to the Uzumaki main family.

And…

Temari's eyes went wide as she turned to the last page.

 _Uzumaki Naruto_. Grandson of the Head of Uzushio. Son of the Fourth Hokage. Vessel of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. Rumored to be a prodigy, like his late father.

"A rather… _contentious_ choice of candidates," Yashamaru remarked; he was clearly fighting back a smirk.

"I can see why," Temari muttered.

The son of the Fourth Hokage was going to compete in the chuunin exams. _Against_ Konoha. In the chuunin exams _Konoha_ was hosting.

 _'This is going to be interesting.'_

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Once again, I apologize for the gap between updates. It seems that keeping up with a schedule isn't one of my talents.

I must admit, I'm having a blast writing Tobi and Kenjiro's chapters, which in entirely unexpected. I never thought they'd grow on me like this. Don't worry, though, I won't give them more POV time just because I like their machinations.

Fun fact: Chapters Five and Six were supposed to be one chapter, until the first half got bloated out of proportion and I had to split it in two.

Another fun fact: This is the end of the Introduction. Six chapters, almost 90000 words, and it's only the _introduction!_ I shudder to think of how long this story will be by the time I finish it. (Inability to keep up with a schedule aside, I _will_ finish both my stories.)

Anyway, moving on to the notes…

 **-X-**

About Tobi defeating Nagato: Some reviewers pointed out that Tobi wouldn't be able to defeat Nagato even if Kisame and Yagura were helping him.

My opinion is: that depends entirely on the battlefield.

Tobi plus Kisame plus Yagura fighting Nagato in the desert? They'll get their asses handed to them.

Tobi plus Kisame plus Yagura fighting Nagato in the ocean? Hmm... Even Nagato would have some trouble fighting the most powerful _Suiton_ user alive and the jinchuuriki of the Sanbi at the same time when they're in their element (that is, surrounded by water).

Anyway, the point wasn't whether Tobi's plan would work or not, since the trap was ruined before it could be sprung. The point was that Tobi _thought_ he could defeat Nagato.

 **-X-**

Jiraiya in Uzushio: So many challenging scenes to write there. I rewrote his first meeting with Naruto a dozen times until I was satisfied with how it played out. I hope you like it. (I'm reading your reviews; your feedback helps a lot.)

His absence from Naruto's life for five years: He isn't absent. I just didn't think that you'd be interested in reading about his sporadic visits to the Whirlpool. I could write an omake about one of them, if you'd like.

As for what is Kenjiro's plan: That would be telling.

 **-X-**

Karin dealing with her mother's death: This was also a very difficult scene to write. I hope I did it justice.

 **-X-**

Kaji in Sunagakure: Let me start by saying that I hate it when writers take an OC and have them fix every problem in the story. (Also, a disclaimer: none of the Uzumaki family is an author avatar in any way. In fact, I have a sheet where I've marked down their character traits and adjust their actions – reactions to a situation according to those.)

Kaji didn't turn Gaara sane just by talking to him.

He was in Suna because he was trying to get the Kazekage to sign the treaty with Uzushio. I wanted to show only one such meeting to preserve the surprise, so I chose the meeting with the Raikage (it was more fun to write than an awkward chat between Kaji and the Kazekage).

He didn't seek Gaara out; he didn't want to botch the negotiations, so he stayed away from the little boy who was going through the same shit his nephew was. Instead, Gaara was looking for the Uzumaki seal master because he heard his father and his uncle saying that this man _might_ be able to help him. When he was confronted by Gaara, however, he decided to help the boy even if it meant angering the Kazekage and losing Suna's support.

He didn't alter Gaara's seal in any way; all he did was teach Gaara a simple exercise to master change in chakra nature (which will be elaborated further in later chapters).

Gaara started turning 'normal' when his father began believing that maybe he wasn't a hopeless case after all. Since Gaara has a number of daddy issues (seriously, is there any hero who _doesn't?!_ ), it was his father's sudden approval that made the difference (and not Kaji's assurance that he wasn't a monster).

Why did the Kazekage change his mind? Because nobody knows more about fuuinjutsu than the Uzumaki clan. If an Uzumaki seal master says that there's nothing wrong with his son's seal, then it must be so. Rasa doesn't know enough about fuuinjutsu to argue; neither does anyone else in Suna.

Yashamaru being alive: It follows with the above. The Kazekage saw that Gaara was getting better at controlling his sand, so he didn't send Yashamaru to 'test' him; instead, he waited to see whether the boy would get complete control over the Ichibi's power or not. Needless to say, Gaara, who was encouraged by his father's newfound trust, gained absolute mastery over his sand by the time he turned twelve.

 **-X-**

No Hinata since Chapter Two: I debated adding a scene from her POV in this chapter, but decided to move it to the next one, instead.

I apologize (not).

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please, review and share your thoughts.


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